Invisible Child
by V3GG13vamp
Summary: The Cullens encounter a frightened boy bearing marks of a brutal existence.  Can vampire and human co-exist?  What will happen when he discovers their true nature?  Much lovey-dovey slushiness and feel good factors.  I promise not to kill Bella this time
1. Chapter 1

Vapour drifted gently up from the sodden forest floor, as the sun finally penetrated the parting storm clouds. The late summer deluges were often more sudden and fierce than the persistent drizzle which accompanied most of the rest of the year and all forms of life had taken shelter till it passed. The air was thick and warm, like entering a bathroom moments after someone has finished a hot shower, and the dark earthy scents of growth and decay were intense. The only sounds were the rhythmic plops of water dripping down through the canopy from leaf to leaf and the minute scuffles in the undergrowth as tiny creatures ventured out to resume their foraging.

A young doe twitched as several splashes of water touched her hide and cautiously sniffed the air. Her large brown eyes surveyed the trail in front of her and her ears gently rotated taking in the tiny noises all around. She dipped her slender neck and allowed her tongue to flick over some tender shoots before pulling them into her mouth and nibbling daintily.

An instinct for survival made her freeze as an unnatural disturbance of the air downwind of her caught her attention. She stared intently into the surrounding undergrowth, her nostrils flaring briefly as she caught the scent of the approaching creature. Painfully her heart pounded in her chest as a flood of adrenalin prepared her for flight, but it was upon her before she could even turn to escape. She was aware of a powerful force restraining her entire body and a strange cracking sound from within, but mercifully her eyes dimmed and she knew nothing of the razor sharp teeth ripping into the soft flesh protecting her throat.

Jasper drank with practised ease. It was his third kill in succession and his thirst was completely sated. As he rotated the carcass, allowing gravity to assist the flow of blood into his mouth, he let his thoughts wander to other things. Emmett had been right when he said the hunting was good in this area. Although the human population was far greater than when the Cullens had previously resided in the locality, the wilderness was so vast that the animal population remained plentiful. And even discounting the forbidden Quileute territory, they could still venture for hundreds of miles along the untouched mountain ranges right into Canada if they so wished. Deer would do for now but he was longing to take a more extended trip to find mountain lion or bear.

Jasper wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned to find a suitable tree or rock under which to stow the carcass. A flash of colour caught his eye. A colour which should not be there in the middle of this forest, fifty miles from the nearest track. A pale colour. A _human_ colour. Jasper stared intently at the colour which gazed back at him in terror.

Neither of them moved. It was a young boy huddled in the middle of a thorny shrub, his knees drawn tight to his chest and his arms wrapped around them protectively. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths and his eyes remained locked on Jasper's face. Slowly Jasper crouched down, still watching the boy, until he was seated on the ground in what he hoped was a non-threatening posture. His lips barely moved as he murmured to his brother.

"Emmett, I need you to keep your distance from me and return with Carlisle as soon as possible. We've got trouble."

Emmett sensed the urgency in Jasper's tone and unquestioningly set off to do as he asked. As he sped through the trees he wondered what the trouble could be.

Jasper heard his brother's footfalls fading in the distance and felt reassured that soon this would be out of his hands. The boy hadn't moved an inch and Jasper thought it best to do the same. He was still sensing a tremendous amount of fear from the boy but the earlier element of panic seemed to have diminished. He considered simply using his skills to get the boy to relax but something held him back. He wanted Carlisle to get an honest appraisal of the situation before he took any action. Watching the boy he was suddenly struck by the most obvious thought. How was it that he hadn't sensed the human there before? Now that he was focussed he could hear the steady if rather rapid thump of the boy's heart although he would have expected it to sound much louder than this. He flared his nostrils and scented the air. The boy visibly flinched and half closed his eyes in anticipation of attack. _Way to go Jasper. Why don't you just lick your lips while you're at it! _He berated himself for the foolish move but puzzled over the fact that, that brief intake of air had told him nothing. It was as if the boy wasn't there! He clearly smelt the shrub, the rocks scattered about, the musky scent left by an animal which had marked its territory; everything except a human.

Thirty miles away, Emmett and Carlisle were dashing at top speed back to the scene. Emmett had been unable to provide Carlisle with any clue whatsoever as to the 'trouble' Jasper spoke of. Carlisle hoped to God that there hadn't been a slip but Emmett reassured him there had been no humans anywhere near the vicinity in which they were hunting. As they came within hearing range of Jasper he again murmured for them to approach him from behind very cautiously.

The two Cullen men neared the small clearing and saw exactly what the problem was.

"He witnessed me hunting," whispered Jasper. "Do you notice how he has no scent? And his pulse is barely audible."

Carlisle looked at the frail creature who was shivering slightly, whether from fear or cold was unknown, and the doctor in him took over.

"Jasper, I need you and Emmett to move back out of sight for the moment," he ordered. His sons complied immediately and the boy turned his gaze to the clear topaz eyes of Carlisle, who smiled benignly at him.

"Well now, it must be awfully prickly in the middle of that bush," he began, using his most alluring smile on the boy. "How about you come and sit here where it's a little more comfortable?"

The boy's eyes briefly flickered to where Carlisle patted the ground but he remained resolutely where he was.

Carlisle gently extended one hand. "I know you are feeling very afraid right now, and you have absolutely no reason to trust me yet. But I _promise_ you I mean you no harm."

Still the boy didn't move.

Carlisle's lips hardly moved as he asked Jasper for an assessment of the boy's emotional state. Jasper reported that his fear had subsided considerably but had been replaced by suspicion. Carlisle sighed; this wasn't going to be easy. He decided to give the boy a little time to perhaps realise he wasn't under threat and sat back on the wet ground and doodled amongst the leaves with a small stick.

_How on earth has this child come to be so far from human habitation? _He wondered. _Does he have parents similarly lost out here? Has something worse happened to them? _He also pondered the boy's strange absence of scent. It was very unnerving, almost as if the boy simply absorbed the scents of the things around him and projected them back. And his pulse sounded very faint too. Not weak, just very, very quiet. Carlisle smiled to himself that this might be the first human he would actually need to use his stethoscope on.

His heightened sense of hearing detected a slight movement from the shrub and he resisted the urge to look up. The boy wasn't actually changing position but he appeared to be moving something around. Surreptitiously he turned his head just enough to see the boy in his peripheral vision. The boy was still in the shrub but now he held a small blue object in his hands. He was rotating it round and round and now and then held it up to his face.

"Can you see what he's holding?"

"It's made of fabric," murmured Emmett from his vantage point. "He pulled it out of his pocket. I think it's a soft toy of some kind."

Carlisle took this as a good sign. The boy was relaxing his vigil at last.

"I may be here for a while," he said. "I need one of you to inform the others of what's happening and to collect some warm clothing and a blanket. The other must bring some suitable food from the grocery store."

Only Carlisle heard the gentle rustle of leaves underfoot as they ran to do his bidding.

Over three hundred years of experience had taught Carlisle to mimic human mannerisms expertly. He slowly stretched out his legs in front of him and massaged his lower back as if sitting there was making him ache.

"It's very peaceful here, don't you think?" he said, still doodling absent-mindedly with the stick. "I love to go for long walks, especially if I've had a hard day at work. My name's Carlisle, by the way. What's yours?"

Glancing up he saw the child pressing the blue toy firmly over his mouth. He seemed to be breathing in its scent as he sat frowning at Carlisle.

Carlisle stretched even further until he was laying full length on the forest floor, and propped himself up on one elbow, facing the boy. He smiled.

"We're being so quiet there's a little squirrel come to see what we're up to," he said soothingly, and pointed with the stick into the branches to the right of the boy's head.

The boy turned to look where Carlisle was pointing and saw the creature peering at him nervously. As soon as it knew it was being watched, its tail twitched and it bounded lithely from limb to limb before leaping onto a larger tree and disappearing behind the trunk. The boy kept his face turned towards the squirrel's escape route but allowed his eyes to glance over to Carlisle as if to catch him in some deceptive move. But Carlisle was still exactly where he'd been before. The boy's eyes drifted to the left of Carlisle and one finger pointed cautiously.

Carlisle turned to see what the child was indicating and spotted another squirrel engaged in nibbling on a ripe beech nut. Internally Carlisle relaxed. Dialogue had been established, albeit tentatively. The way for communication was open.

Jasper and Emmett were returning at a pace and Carlisle gave his instructions to them as soon as they were within hearing range. Jasper, the smaller of the two, appeared at the edge of the clearing, in easy view of the boy. He was carrying several items which he placed on the ground before sitting down cross-legged. All the while he kept his gaze on Carlisle and didn't regard the boy once. As expected the boy reacted instinctively to the reappearance of Jasper. His heart rate soared and his breathing once more became shallow and rapid. His muscles tensed and he curled into himself more tightly than ever.

"Hello Jasper," said Carlisle brightly, using the same volume as a human. "Thank you so much for bringing those things. Would you be so kind as to bring them over to me?"

"Sure Dad," replied Jasper cheerfully. Slowly he moved across till he was just behind Carlisle before handing the bag of items to him.

"Hmmm," said Carlisle, peering into the bag. "Now, let's see what we've got here."

Knowing the boy's attention was riveted on him, he slowly drew the items out of the bag one at a time.

"Oh, what a lovely warm jacket!" exclaimed Carlisle. "Just the thing for being out in this showery weather." He held the coat up to admire it before laying it on the ground where the boy could clearly see.

"Ah, the picnic blanket!" Carlisle opened out the thick fleecy blanket and moved so that he was now seated on one edge of it. "Oh that feels _so_ much better. That damp ground was beginning to make my bones ache."

"His eyes are on the bag, Carlisle," reported Emmett who was watching just out of sight.

"Yes," agreed Jasper. "Curiosity is his over-riding emotion right now."

Carlisle smiled. "Well thank you, Son. You've brought everything I need. Why don't you run along home now and see if Mom has any chores that need doing."

Slowly Jasper got up and walked nonchalantly out of the clearing, appearing at Emmett's side a second later. It was Carlisle's intention to act as if sitting out in the middle of the isolated forest was completely normal, human behaviour and to perhaps coax the boy into coming with him voluntarily. They could have taken the easy route of course. Jasper could have put him to sleep by projecting a deep sense of drowsiness and they could have carried him to the house within half an hour. But at some point the boy would have awakened and they would still have to deal with the fear and mistrust. No, better to try and establish some bond from the get go.

Carlisle looked into the bag again and sighed loudly with pleasure. He noticed that the boy had changed to a kneeling position as if to get a better view of what might emerge next from the bag. Slowly, Carlisle reached in and withdrew a banana and a bar of chocolate. He placed them gently in the centre of the picnic blanket and noted that the boy's eyes were fixed on them. He had also swallowed a couple of times in succession.

"He's brought far too much for me as usual," chuckled Carlisle. "I'd love it if you could help me with some of this."

The boy swallowed again and Carlisle knew his saliva glands were going into overdrive at the sight of the food. From the gaunt appearance of the boy, he guessed it had been a while since he'd eaten. He moved the items of food to the very edge of the blanket nearest the boy before lying down on his back with his hands behind his head.

"Help yourself," he said, before closing his eyes in a picture of contentment.

Minutes past and just as Carlisle felt that his plan had failed there was a soft scuffling noise. He sensed the edge of the blanket tense a little as if a weight was stretching it and then smelt the overwhelmingly strong scent of banana. The gulping noises told him that the fruit had been rapidly demolished and from the rustling it seemed the chocolate was headed the same way.

Very softly he murmured, "There's plenty more in the bag. Eat as much as you like." And with minimal movement he nudged the carrier bag partway towards the boy. Hopefully the bread rolls, piece of cheese and apple would be similarly welcomed, though he suspected the cabbage and onion would remain untouched. Apparently he was going to have to explain human eating habits in a little more detail to his children for future reference.

As the boy finished eating the food, Carlisle opened his eyes and faced the child.

"Good boy," he said approvingly. "You must be feeling a little better now?"

The tiniest movement indicated the boy nodding his head.

"Will you put this jacket around your shoulders too?" He continued. "I'd hate for you to catch cold out here."

The jacket inched its way towards the boy who cautiously placed it around himself.

"It's going to get dark soon," said Carlisle, looking up at the sky. "I would feel much happier knowing you were somewhere safe and warm for the night. I've plenty of room in my home if you'd care to come with me. My wife and children won't pester you too much and at least you could get some rest. I can't imagine sleeping out here in the open will be much fun. You could have something warm to eat as well. That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

This was it, make or break. He'd done about as much as he could to make the child see he was no threat. The choice was his now.

Pressing the blue toy to his face the child appeared to be thinking. He had rather a resigned expression on his face as he glanced around himself. Without looking at Carlisle he slowly nodded.

After an hour's trek they came to the jeep parked neatly between two huge oak trees. After Carlisle and the boy left the clearing Jasper and Emmett had circled round back to the house before bringing the jeep as near as they could. There was no marked trail but with Rosalie's adaptations to the suspension and gearing, the vehicle could easily handle the rough terrain. Carlisle strapped the exhausted boy into the passenger seat and tucked the blanket around his knees. They had driven less than twenty yards before the child's head sagged onto his chest and he was sound asleep.

As they drove along slowly Carlisle took a good look at the boy. He was rather thin and small with a pale complexion and unkempt brown hair which flopped across his eyelids. Now that he could study him he realised he was older than he'd first imagined. The size of his hands and the development of his jaw line meant the boy had to be around fifteen or sixteen. The curious attachment to the blue toy had been rather misleading, though Carlisle supposed even the most macho of men would regress a little having witnessed a vampire feeding first hand. Of more concern to Carlisle was the visible bruising around the boy's neck, displaying a multitude of shades of green and yellow. Perhaps he wasn't so much lost as escaped.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the lovely reviews; it's very gratifying to see people are enjoying the story! I intend to take things much more slowly with this story and go into a lot of details contrasting the Cullen's vampiric life with their human facade. I hope it continues to appeal :)

* * *

At the Cullen residence preparations were afoot. The only beds they had were the luxurious king sized ones the mated pairs used which were all rather ostentatious for a child. So Esme had them clear out the small room off of the living room which had once been used as a study, and put one of the sofas in there to act as a bed. Once furnished with a bedside table and lamp and a soft cream rug on the floor, it looked quite inviting. She covered the sofa in a cool cream sheet and added a thick downy duvet with a blue patterned cover. Two deep pillows and the scene was complete.

"How can he have no scent?" asked Edward for the umpteenth time. "He must smell of something, he can't just not have a scent!"

Jasper scowled. "Stop asking, Edward. You clearly have no intention of believing anything I say so why don't you just wait and see for yourself."

Edward pursed his lips. "I just don't see how…"

"_Edward!_" they chorused. "Give it a rest!"

Alice slipped her tiny hand into Jasper's and stretched up onto her toes to kiss him softly on the cheek. Jasper smiled gratefully. He knew he was regarded as the weak one in the coven, Lord knows he'd screwed up often enough, but Alice was always there to help pick him up and start him on the right path again. She never doubted him and he didn't need her words to tell him this. Her love and confidence flowed from every pore in her body. With Alice, the future made sense. He had a purpose for existing and a reason to strive against his darkest instincts. It wasn't his fault the human had seen him feeding; even Emmett admitted the boy was as good as invisible. Edward _always_ had to have proof, because of course _Jasper_ can't be trusted.

"It's not that," murmured Edward. He glanced at Jasper and his expression of remorse was backed up by feelings of regret. "You know me; I just like to understand things for myself."

Jasper knew this was as close to an apology as Edward would get and appreciated the genuineness of it. "It's okay," he said, bumping knuckles with his brother.

Alice stared off into the distance and Jasper grasped her hand supportively.

"They're coming!" she said, excitedly. "The human is asleep and…oh!" She wrinkled her nose.

"What is it Alice?" asked Jasper.

"Better get a damp face cloth ready! As soon as he wakes, he's going to throw up!"

"Gross!" exclaimed Emmett, though his expression said he wasn't going to be looking the other way when it happened.

"Poor thing," said Esme sympathetically and swiftly added a bucket and a glass of water to the guest quarters.

The soft purr of the jeep's engine could be heard approaching and the level of nervous excitement in the house stepped up a notch.

,,,

As the lights of the Cullen residence winked into view between the forest leaves, Carlisle debated when to wake the boy. Would he panic afresh after his sleep? Should he warn the others to stay out of sight? Would the boy be suspicious if the house appeared empty having told him of a wife and children? His deliberations were interrupted as the boy's head lolled back and his sleepy eyes fluttered open. In an instant the boy was on high alert and sat bolt upright in the seat.

The sudden awakening after a long bumpy journey was the last straw for both the banana and the chocolate, not to mention several other items of food, who all decided they'd had quite enough of this trip thank you very much and would like to leave. The boy felt a horrible sense of breathlessness as his stomach began clenching and gulped at the sudden surge of sour tasting saliva in his mouth. Carlisle heard the rapid swallowing and knew what was coming.

"Hold on, we're almost there," he urged as the jeep bounced onto the tarmac in front of the garage. No sooner had they stopped than Carlisle was at the passenger door and just managed to unclip the seat belt before the food made its unwelcome reappearance.

"Shhh, it's okay. You're going to be okay," he soothed, gently rubbing circles on the back of the trembling boy. The child was so tense his whole body was wracked with tremors and all Carlisle could do was hold him tightly to keep him from falling. Eventually the nausea subsided and he helped the boy wipe his mouth using a corner of the blanket.

"Let's get you inside," he said softly.

Thankfully Esme had seen fit to shoo everyone out of the room so it was less daunting as he practically carried the boy in. He took him straight to the downstairs cloakroom and waited outside while he freshened up. He heard the toilet flush and the door was slowly pushed open whereupon a smiling Carlisle led the boy to the room Esme indicated and gently helped him lay down on the sofa.

"This is my wife, Esme," he said, though the boy barely showed any acknowledgement of hearing him.

"I think sleep is what he most needs," he said as he watched the boy curl up onto his side. Esme gently dabbed the sheen of sweat from his forehead with a cool cloth before helping the sleepy boy take a few sips of water.

Carlisle stepped back and watched the mother take charge.

"Let's get you out of this bulky jacket," she said, unzipping the coat, "then we'll get you all tucked in and safe for the night."

The boy allowed her to remove the coat and lay still as Esme gently removed his worn out trainers and drew the thick duvet up to his chin.

"Now you lay there nice and cosy, sweetheart, and I'll bring you a warm drink."

Carlisle smiled at her as she left the room to prepare the drink. There was something tremendously powerful about Esme when she was in full on mother mode. He'd seen it time and again when one of the younger Cullen's was distressed about something. And it didn't matter that they were all at least a hundred years old. Esme had them reduced to trusting five year olds within minutes where a hug and a kiss magically restored the world to rights.

Looking at the exhausted boy he didn't think he'd be awake much longer, so maybe the drink would have to wait. Under the duvet, the boy's hands moved and suddenly the little blue toy appeared, tucked neatly under his chin. His eyelids drooped and his breathing became slower and deeper. Carlisle frowned as something about the toy caught his eye. With a touch as light as a feather, he rotated the toy a fraction and read the name embroidered on the front. Ryan.

,,,

Rosalie volunteered to sit in the doorway in case the boy woke up, whilst the rest of the Cullens gathered at the dining table for a conference. After sharing his thoughts about the boy's name, Carlisle opened the discussion.

"We need time to ascertain what exactly he thinks he witnessed in the woods and to plan a suitable explanation," began Carlisle. "There's also the question of who he is and how he came to be wandering in the woods. Edward, did you manage to get any information from his thoughts?"

Everyone looked at Edward expectantly.

"Actually he was a complete blank, Carlisle."

Jasper's mouth quirked a little in smug satisfaction. _Told you so!_

Edward frowned. "I caught odd flickers of images but all I saw was your face, Carlisle and then darkness. I think it was the few moments before he fell asleep."

"Interesting," mused Carlisle. "I wonder…Edward, focus on his mind now. What do you see?"

Edward cut out the external distractions one by one; the rustle of the trees outside, the thoughts of his family, the drip of water in the cistern, until the boy's mind completely consumed his own. Hazy images swirled around in random chaos; trees, darkness, rain, a deer, Jasper. Oh! That image came through strong and clear.

Rosalie stared at the boy as he moaned in his sleep, but returned her attention to her family once he settled into quietness again.

"It's just random images, no specific events," said Edward, not wanting to make Jasper feel uncomfortable.

"Well at least you can access his mind when he's asleep. Keep watching just in case he dreams of something more specific; other people or recognisable places for instance. Now, what to do with him? As I see it we have several options: Turn him over to the police who may already be searching for him or hand him in to social services."

"That's only two options, Carlisle," said Edward.

Carlisle looked steadily around the table. "The final option would be to care for him ourselves."

Questions and opinions flew around the table at lightning speed. Any human listening would just have been aware of a low level humming noise, but Carlisle heard every word perfectly.

"What would happen when he discovers what we are?"

"How can a human be safe with us?"

"Carlisle you're not suggesting changing him are you?" queried Esme, a suggestion Carlisle quickly refuted.

He held up his hands. "I only said it was an option and not necessarily my first choice. I got a good look at him on the way here and I don't feel his appearance is the result of a few days wandering in the forest. That boy has suffered prolonged malnourishment and worse. My concern is that whatever we decide, Ryan will be properly cared for as a result. _That_ is my priority and _not_ what may be of most convenience to us."

He turned to Alice. He loved his newest daughter dearly and was overwhelmingly thankful to whatever higher power had led her to seek them out. When she and Jasper first arrived at their home he had been fascinated by their abilities, never having come across the like in all his vampire existence. At first he had been very reluctant to request the assistance of her gift but she insisted it was what she wanted; to be a fully functioning member of the family, with no special treatment. Carlisle accepted her offer with gratitude and was surprised by how soon the family came to depend upon her. Only once had Alice let him down.

,,,

It was all over a silly bout of adolescent foolishness concocted by the Cullen children. It was 1963 and the winter had seemed interminable that year. Day after day of cloud, rain, fog and snow with never a glimmer of sunshine to break the monotony. Although this meant they were free to come and go each day without fear of discovery it also meant perfect school attendance. The school they were currently enrolled in was rather provincial and the curriculum had proven even more dull than usual. And so the five hatched a plan to allow then some respite from the tedium. It all seemed very innocent at the time. Alice informed Carlisle of an impending spell of sunny weather allowing them a few days freedom during which they all escaped to the mountains in order to 'go crazy' as Emmett put it.

On their return Carlisle was waiting.

"Do you have something you wish to tell me, Alice?" he asked sternly.

The others instantly came to her defence.

"Carlisle, it wasn't just Alice," interjected Edward, but his father silenced him with one look.

"I believe I was speaking to Alice," he said, as he regarded her with clear topaz eyes.

"I made it up," whispered Alice. "I knew it wasn't really going to be sunny. I'm sorry." Guilt poured out of her as she waited for the condemnation and rejection she fully expected.

Jasper was determined to protect his mate at all costs and took up an aggressive stance between the two, growling menacingly at Carlisle, who was far too experienced to allow such nonsense to affect him.

"Jasper Whitlock I'm surprised at you, Sir. As a military man you surely understand how serious lack of trust can be. We fight a constant battle for survival; remaining undetected by humans and therefore out of reach of the Volturi. How can this continue successfully if we don't have trust?"

Jasper felt immediate shame and backed down, although he remained protectively close to Alice.

"I'm sorry, Sir," he said. "I was completely out of line and I apologise. But truly it was not Alice's decision alone. We are all equally to blame."

"True, Jasper," agreed Carlisle, "Though Alice still exercised free will. I doubt you all forced her to play her part." He looked around at them questioningly and had to remind himself again to disregard chronological age and remember they were all just on the cusp of adulthood and therefore prone to rash decisions at times. He sighed and his face took on a gentler expression.

"Why did you do it?" he asked.

Alice spoke up. "We just wanted some time away from school," she said meekly, "Just to be our true selves for a few days."

"And it didn't occur to a single one of you to just ask?"

Therein lay the foolishness of the whole situation. If they had simply asked for some time away he would have granted it without a second thought and all this unpleasantness could have been avoided.

He walked over to Alice and gently lifted her chin until she was looking directly at him. "I love you, Alice," he said, "And I don't know if you are aware of just how much. But I am deeply disappointed by this lack of judgement." He paused as his daughter tried desperately to blink back the venom which was threatening to spill from her eyes. "Promise me you won't do such a thing again."

Alice flung her arms around Carlisle and sobbed into his chest. "I'm sorry," she cried, "I didn't think, truly I didn't mean to hurt you, I just didn't think."

Softly Carlisle kissed the top of her head and held her safely against him. "I know, I know," he soothed. "Please don't cry, Alice, poor Jasper's going to explode if he has to rein himself in much longer."

Alice gave a muffled laugh and turned to her anxious mate. "It's okay Jasper," she said, sniffling. "I guess I can add this to my list of achieved human experiences now; being told off by dad!"

Carlisle chuckled but then became sombre as he pushed home his final message to them all. "Since coming to know you I am astounded at how I managed to survive so many years alone. I could never return to those days and I hope you know what an integral part of my existence you all are. We are not coven, we are family and as such our bonds are based on love, trust and respect, not fear and domination. Let us never forget nor abuse that trust again."

The solemn faces told him that they were united once more and could put this incident behind them. Alice remained true to her word and never again attempted to deceive him with her visions.

,,,

As Ryan sank into a deep restful sleep Carlisle turned to Alice once more.

"We've come to rely on your gift in many ways, Alice," he said, "But never more so than now. I need you to try and see which of our options might have the best outcome for the boy."

Alice glanced round worriedly. It was true; she often used her gift to assist the Cullens, warning them of sunny weather, visiting nomads, humans straying into their hunting territory. But to decide the fate of a human? The responsibility was enormous. Jasper felt the trepidation coming from her and stood up, ready to defend his mate.

"Alice shouldn't have to make this decision," he said. "She can't be held responsible for choosing the path for a human."

Carlisle smiled at his son and nodded. "I fully understand that, Jasper, and you need have no fear. We will see if Alice can shed any light on the future and then discuss what we consider the best course of action. Ultimately, though, the decision will be mine and I accept sole responsibility for that."

Seeing Jasper was reassured he turned to Alice again. "Take your time, Alice, and don't worry in the least if you are unable to see anything. But if you can, try to determine the outcomes of our options for the boy."

Jasper placed his arm protectively around Alice's shoulders as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the boy. First, the decision to hand him over to the police. She saw rapidly passing images of uninterested police reports; the boy moved from pillar to post; a group home which was more a halfway house for juvenile offenders than a home; a terrified boy crouching miserably in a corner. There was a low rumble of disgust from Edward who was closely following her thoughts. She shook her head; nothing good was coming of that option. She focussed again. Social workers driving away with the boy in the back seat; a foster home run by a middle aged couple; a darkened room; a man pushing open the door; fear, so much fear; breathlessness and pain as the boy's tiny frame is manipulated onto the bed; despair; darkness. Alice's eyes pooled with tears of venom as she dragged herself away from the terrible visions. Jasper cupped her face gently in his hands and gazed at her in consternation but Alice could only shake her head. She centred her thoughts once more. The boy remaining with the Cullens; tension and mistrust; the boy huddling in the tiny room afraid to emerge; sitting outside in the sun awed by glittering skin; laughter, yes definite laughter; and, what on earth? Alice chuckled to herself and looked straight at Emmett. "Hide and seek?"

Emmett gazed wide eyed at her. "Why are you looking at me?" he protested. "I haven't done anything!"

"Yet!" she said, smirking to herself. She turned to Carlisle. "I'm sorry," she said. "I couldn't see any good outcomes from involving the authorities. But I didn't see any danger for him or us if he remains here."

The family looked at each other with concern. Could this be true? Could a human live among them and not be endangered? Would their secret be kept?

* * *

Note from Edward:

_**Why, Dear Reader, does she always portray me as the whingey one? Truely I am the most placid, easy-going of our coven. I **_**never**_** complain about anything. She's **_**so**_** unfair to me! Tell her to write me in a more favourable manner.**_

_**Yours unhappily,**_

_**Edward**_

Note from Carlisle:

_Might I suggest, Edward, that you re-read what you have just written. You might find V3GG13vamp has a point._

_Yours chucklingly,_

_Carlisle_

Note from V3GG13vamp:

Please review!

Yours beggingly,

V


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry if I confused people by listing Edward and Jasper as characters. All the Cullens will be involved equally but unfortunately there isn't a 'Cullen' option when you submit the story. I suspect a lot of readers deliberately seek stories for particular characters and if none are listed, the story may go unread and then the Cullens would cry big sad tears of venom and no one wants that. That's my excuse anyway!

* * *

Carlisle pressed his fingers together thoughtfully and pondered a moment.

"We will spend tonight seeing if there are any missing person reports that match the boy so that at least we have some background information. We will start with the likelihood that his name is Ryan but not limit ourselves to that. Begin with police reports for the state of Washington and then spread out from there. Maybe in the morning he will feel a little better for a night's rest and will answer a few questions. If it is truly better for him to remain here then we need to ensure it is his wish also."

Edward took Rosalie's place in the doorway whilst the others logged onto their laptops and began the painstaking task of hacking into police files throughout the state to see if they could locate a missing person matching the boy's description.

,,,

By 6.30am they had scrutinised the details and images of over 40,000 missing children from all over the States, but none had been even a close match for Ryan. Carlisle went to see if Edward had gleaned anything from the dreams and found his son studying the boy with an expression of complete and utter fascination.

"Edward, have you…"

Edward held up a hand to silence Carlisle who raised his eyebrows in astonishment. He moved round into Edward's line of vision with an expression that soon got Edward's attention.

"Have you learned anything about him?" he asked.

"Nothing concrete," admitted Edward, "but the images! The strangest of stories were playing out in his head and they were all so vivid. I had no idea humans conjured up such astonishing detail in their sleep."

Carlisle couldn't help but smile at his son's excitement. "So tell me, what exactly did you see?"

Edward chuckled. "Well he was in an enormous old house and appeared to be trying to find a particular room. It was all quite ramshackle as if the previous owners had left everything there from many years ago. Then he found a room with doors leading out onto a terrace. He walked through the doors and was staring up at the clouds which suddenly created the most wonderful moving pictures; galloping horses, giant fish, warriors. It was quite astounding. Then…"

They were both alert to a tiny noise from the sofa and turned to see the boy studying them both with wide eyes. Carlisle hoped that if he had overheard them, he would, like most humans, have forgotten his dreams as soon as he woke and not realise that that was what they were discussing. He smiled and murmured to Edward to bring Esme.

"Good morning Ryan, you're looking much better now. Did you sleep well?"

The boy nodded and began to take in his surroundings which he hadn't really noticed the night before. Carlisle came and sat on the edge of the sofa.

"Do you mind if I just feel your forehead?" he asked. "You were rather sick last night and I just want to be sure you're not running a fever or anything."

The boy just lay there looking at him which Carlisle took as an act of acquiescence and softly felt the boy's head with the back of his hand. There was a tiny intake of breath as the boy felt the unexpected coolness but he didn't flinch.

"Well you don't seem to have a high temperature or anything, so that's good," said Carlisle. "How long were you out in the woods for?"

The boy dropped his gaze and remained mute.

"Ryan?"

The eyes briefly flickered up to Carlisle before dropping again. Carlisle was now at least certain of the name. Esme drifted softly into the room carrying a tray of items which she placed on the small table next to the sofa. Ryan's eyes looked at the tray with curiosity, a look which rapidly changed to naked hunger. On the tray was a soft boiled egg, two slices of buttered toast and a large mug of hot sweetened milk. His stomach growled in anticipation.

Esme helped him to sit upright before plumping the pillows behind his back.

"Now, no more talking you two until you've eaten that all up," she said briskly. A command that Ryan seemed only too willing to obey, as he tucked into the delicious golden yolk and gulped at the creamy milk.

After he had finished eating, Esme brought out the change of clothes they had put together for him. It was a pair of Edward's sweatpants and a t-shirt and sweater from Jasper as well as a few other items.

"Let me show you to the bathroom and you can have a nice hot shower and get into these clean clothes," she said.

The boy's heart rate was beginning to increase again and Carlisle watched him carefully. As Esme gestured for him to follow, Ryan slowly pushed back the duvet and stood up, but seemed extremely reluctant to leave the sanctuary of the little room. Carlisle picked up the raggedy blue toy and held it out to Ryan.

"It's alright," he said, gazing steadily into the boy's fearful eyes. "I promise you that no one here will hurt you."

Slowly Ryan accepted the toy before shuffling over to follow Esme as she led him up to the large bathroom on the first floor. It was rarely used as all the bedrooms were en-suite but was kept fully kitted out in anticipation of visits from the Denali's with whom they were very close. It was a large bright room with a sealed wooden floor and powder blue walls. There was a deep marble bath at one end and adjacent to this a built in shower unit enclosed in glass panelling. Esme placed the clean clothes down on the chair and retrieved a huge fluffy towel and several items of toiletries from the cupboard. She turned on the shower and showed Ryan how to adjust the temperature and where the off button was.

"When you're through, just leave your old clothes on the chair. I'll pop them in the washer later on so they're nice and fresh for you." Personally she felt the clothes were only fit for the bin but knew that it wasn't for her to make such decisions about his only possessions.

As she turned to leave she noticed him tense up considerably. His gaze was fixed on the open door which clearly had no lock.

"It's okay," she said, "You won't be disturbed."

Still he stared, a picture of abject misery.

"Would you like me to sit outside the door and make sure no one comes in?" she offered.

He nodded briefly and his posture relaxed slightly. Esme smiled as she pulled the door closed behind her.

,,,

It wasn't long before he was out again, clearly still uncomfortable in his new surroundings, but at least he was reasonably cleaned up and wearing the donated clothes.

"That's better," said Esme.

They made their way back down the sweeping staircase to where Carlisle sat at the dining table. He pulled out a chair and invited Ryan to sit next to him. The boy slid onto the seat with an air of trepidation.

"Well, Ryan I think we need to sort out one or two little things, don't you?" began Carlisle. Ryan stared mutely at the polished wooden surface of the table. Carlisle continued.

"I'm very concerned at how you came to be wandering in the woods so far from any town. Where did you come from?"

Silence.

"Did somebody bring you to the woods?"

Silence.

"I understand that things feel very strange right now and that you've been through a lot, Ryan, but I need some answers here. Did you run away from someone?"

Silence.

Carlisle was beginning to feel rather frustrated.

"Do you remember what happened yesterday? In the woods?"

Silence and heart rate rising.

"Do you remember what you saw?"

Silence, heart rate rising, clenched fists.

Carlisle was determined to provoke a reaction from the boy one way or another.

"You were watching from that bush, watching a deer weren't you? When you saw something very fast, something you didn't expect at all…"

"_No!_"

The voice he had been so desperate to hear still startled Carlisle in its suddenness.

"No you didn't see it, or no you don't want to talk about it?"

There was a pause.

"I… I don't want to talk about it," he whispered.

"Well that's quite alright for now," persisted Carlisle, "Although we _are_ going to talk about something." He looked at Esme for reassurance as he was beginning to feel quite lost in dealing with this strange child. Esme nodded and smiled back lovingly. Softly she placed her hand on Ryan's back.

"How old are you, Ryan?" she asked.

The boy seemed relieved that the conversation had taken on a more neutral tone and glanced up into Esme's eyes.

"Fifteen," he said.

"And what's your last name?"

He hesitated. "I don't know."

"I'm sure you know where you live," she prompted.

Ryan's expression altered radically and he spoke with consternation. "No. I mean I... I don't want to… I don't… I…please don't make me go… I can't…"

By now he was babbling incoherently and looking frantically between the two.

Esme gently soothed him. "It's going to be okay, honey, we're not going to make you do anything you don't want to."

Carlisle thought this was rather a rash statement to make but supposed they could deal with the ramifications later. At least he was now speaking to them. He reached out slowly and brushed his fingers across the boy's bruised throat.

"Is this why you don't want to go back?"

The boy flinched and jerked his head away.

Carlisle thought for a moment. "Here's the deal," he said. "If you are adamant that there is no one you wish us to take you to then you may stay here with us and get yourself fit and well, _but_ I expect you to be honest with me otherwise I cannot help you. Does that sound fair?"

The boy nodded briefly but Carlisle gently placed his fingers under the boy's chin and tilted his head up to look him in the eye.

"Does that sound fair?" he repeated with a smile.

"Yes," came the reluctant reply.

Carlisle decided it would be best to ignore the issue of what he had seen in the forest until Ryan broached the subject himself. Their task for now was to make the boy feel at home and safe so that maybe later he would be more forthcoming with information.

"Would you like to see the rest of the house?" he asked, smiling encouragingly.

Ryan looked as if he would much rather retreat to his room but nodded anyway. Carlisle was determined that they were not regressing to non-verbal communication again and looked at the boy enquiringly.

"Okay," came the mumbled response.

"Excellent! Might as well begin downstairs."

,,,

Esme decided to leave the two of them alone for a while and headed back to the bathroom to retrieve the laundry. She collected the bundle of clothes from the chair and was about to pick up the damp towel from where it lay on the side of the bath, when something from the shower caught her eye. Tiny distortions in the light shining onto the shower cubicle revealed patterns on the glass. She went over to examine them and smiled. The boy appeared to have written a list in the condensation, the results of which were still visible to her eye:

_Carlile_

_Banana_

_Chocolate_

_Apple_

_Cheese_

_Bread_

_Coat_

_Esmay _

_Bed_

_Water_

_Egg_

_Toast_

_Milk_

_Shower_

_Clothes_

He had also written his name in several places using different styles of script accompanied by handprints. She scrutinised his work noting that the only spelling errors were the two unfamiliar names and added 'literate' to their meagre bank of information.

,,,

Ryan studied the numerous paintings and sketches which adorned the walls of Carlisle's study. He was particularly fascinated by a coloured engraving produced by James Gillray in 1802 depicting commonly held concerns at that time about the new smallpox vaccine. It was a gaudy piece featuring Jenner inoculating frightened patients who subsequently sprouted cow-like appendages from various parts of their anatomy. Ryan scrutinised the picture with rapt attention; a typical response, Carlisle supposed, of any boy his age.

"That's what people back then feared would happen if they had a certain injection," he said. "Thankfully people are a little more open-minded these days or my work at the hospital would be a tad more difficult."

"Are…are you a doctor?" the boy whispered hesitantly.

"Yes, that's right. I work at the hospital in Forks; that's the town near here."

"What do you do there?"

Carlisle was pleased at the way the conversation was opening up.

"All sorts of things really," he said. "Sometimes I might have to fix broken bones; sometimes a patient might come in with a bad cut or burn. Other times people get sick and we care for them at the hospital for a while."

"Will he come back to kill me?"

The sudden change in direction had Carlisle momentarily at a loss for words.

"Who's going to kill you? What do you mean?" He gently grasped Ryan by the shoulders in order to gain his full attention; a move which instantly caused the boy to tense. Carlisle released him and apologised.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched you like that. But what did you mean? Has someone threatened you?"

Ryan regarded him nervously as if weighing up the consequences of voicing his fears.

"That man with the deer. He bit it and killed it. He was watching me till you came."

This was the moment Carlisle had dreaded; how to explain what Jasper had done. A thousand lies flashed through his head: Jasper actually shot the deer and was bending close to see where the bullet had hit it. It only looked like he was biting it; Ryan had probably hallucinated the whole thing due to lack of food, it was a very common symptom of malnutrition; Jasper was mentally unbalanced and sometimes did the most bizarre things, but not to worry because he, Carlisle, had diagnosed the problem and was about to medicate Jasper back to normality.

"I said earlier that you are very welcome to stay with us for as long as you wish, and you will be perfectly safe here. If you are happy to remain with us then there are some things you should know." He paused to gauge Ryan's response. The boy's solemn expression told Carlisle that he was absorbing everything with full attention.

"Let's take a walk in the garden."

He led Ryan out through the large glass doors and onto the shaded veranda at the rear of the property. The view looked out across a neat lawn bordered by several beautifully tended flower beds and on into the untamed forest which stretched away for miles. Together they sat on the edge and dangled their legs over.

"We aren't exactly like you, Ryan," he said slowly. "Have you noticed anything different about Esme and I?"

Ryan frowned. "You're nice?"

Carlisle stifled a laugh. "Well that's very kind of you to say, but I don't think that makes us very different from anyone else."

"Other people aren't nice," he said softly.

Carlisle wondered again what kind of dreadful existence this boy had lead till now.

"How about the way we look. Do we look a bit different to most people you've met before?"

Ryan wrinkled his nose in thought and studied Carlisle. "You've got the same eyes as her." He thought again. "And you're not very tanned I suppose."

"No, that's very astute of you Ryan. You've touched on two of the things which definitely set us apart from others." He placed his hand over Ryan's. "What else do you notice?"

"It's cold," he answered.

"Now watch." Carlisle rolled up his shirt sleeve and stretched his arm out from the shade and into the sunlight. Ryan gasped open mouthed. Tentatively he reached out with one hand and touched the skin on Carlisle's arm. He drew his finger across the surface before turning it over to study as if expecting the diamond like sparkles to have somehow rubbed off. Carlisle watched him, allowing the boy to explore his discovery.

Engrossed in his explorations, Ryan grasped Carlisle's hand more firmly and turned it this way and that in the sun, spreading the fingers and checking every inch of skin. He smiled to himself with pleasure at what he was seeing and Carlisle marvelled that the boy was showing no trace of fear or revulsion.

"What is it?" he asked, staring up at Carlisle.

"Our skin has rather different properties to yours; it's very strong and this results in it reacting this way to sunlight."

"Does your face do it too?" he asked wide eyed.

Carlisle chuckled. "All of me does it."

The boy's face grew solemn again. "Is that other man the same as you?"

"Yes," nodded Carlisle, "All of my family are like me. We aren't related however, we simply sought each other out and have become a sort of adoptive family."

"Can you turn invisible?" he asked with a sideward's glance.

Carlisle quirked an eyebrow. "No we are unable to become invisible," he said. "What made you ask that?"

Ryan looked down at his feet for a few moments before answering.

"That other man just appeared by the deer. He wasn't there before because I was watching the deer; she didn't know I was there." Ryan was becoming quite wrapped up in telling his tale. It was rather pleasurable seeing the timid boy becoming so animated.

"She was just eating the grass and then he was there and he grabbed her and…and bit her," his voice tailed off at the end, still worried by the consequences of what he had witnessed.

"I'm sure it seemed as though he suddenly appeared but that has nothing to do with invisibility. We are able to move at speeds well in excess of those normally achieved by people. Jasper would have been moving too quickly for your eye to follow and so it just seemed as though he appeared out of thin air."

"Jasper."

"Yes, that's his name. I regard him as my son and I love him very much."

"Was he going to eat the deer?"

"That is probably what sets us most apart from other people; our food. Yes, Jasper did feed on the deer. My family and I all feed on animals." He looked at Ryan to see how the boy was taking this information and hoped for the millionth time that he was doing the right thing.

"You just eat them raw?" asked Ryan.

"Well we don't exactly eat them at all," began Carlisle. "The only part of them we need," he looked Ryan directly in the eye, "is the blood."

Ryan stared back steadily, his face betraying no emotion. The seconds ticked by and still the two regarded each other. Seconds became minutes and Carlisle feared he had pushed Ryan too far but it was too late to back track now. Finally Ryan spoke.

"You just drink animal blood?"

"Yes."

"Not the meat?"

"No."

"Do you eat anything else?"

"No."

"You just drink blood."

"Yes."

Ryan dropped his gaze and stared out across the lawn. His face bore a tiny frown as if he was solving a tricky mathematical equation in his head. He took a deep breath and once more picked up Carlisle's hand. He moved it into the sunlight and watched the glittering lights dance across the skin.

"I like this," he stated.

* * *

_Note From Carlisle:_

_Dear Reader_

_I have surprisingly little experience of dealing with human children, other than my encounters at the hospital. Am I doing the right thing in allowing Ryan to see aspects of our nature? I don't see how it can be avoided if the boy is to reside with us permanently. It's all very worrying._

_Yours with the greatest respect,_

_C Cullen_

_PS_

_Please leave a review; V3GG13vamp is unbearable when she feels unloved.  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you to the ones who left reviews (you keep me going) and to the ones who are following this story. :)_

* * *

Carlisle and Ryan sat for a while in comfortable companionship before Carlisle decided it was time to progress further.

"Would you like to meet the rest of the family now?" he asked. "I know they're all terribly keen to make your acquaintance."

Ryan's shoulders hunched over and he chewed on the skin around a fingernail.

"I'll be with you the whole time and we can always go somewhere quieter if you feel a little overwhelmed."

,,,

Perched high in a fir tree overlooking the property, Emmett leaned forward, eagerly awaiting the boy's decision. Rosalie laid a restraining hand on his arm.

"Emmett _don't_ jump out of the tree the minute he says 'yes'," she pleaded, "You'll terrify the poor thing and then we'll be back to square one."

"Give me some credit, Babe!" he retorted indignantly, trying to hide the fact that she was spot on with her prediction. He was just itching to meet the boy face to face.

Emmett was rather pleased at the prospect of no longer being the baby of the family. True, in human years Edward was younger, but both Edward and Jasper were older in vampire terms and just because Emmett liked to fool around a little they tended to regard him as somewhat junior. He didn't really mind, life was too short to bear grudges. Ha! Not exactly an appropriate saying anymore, but Hell, even eternity was too short to waste. He actually enjoyed this strange existence his angel had brought him into; the speed, the incredible strength, the intense passion. Emmett adored it all and charged into every new experience with utter enthusiasm. Having a human in the family could be awesome!

Rosalie watched the boy and thought how small he looked huddled on the veranda next to Carlisle. He certainly seemed fascinated by the reflective properties of their skin. She remembered the first time she had seen herself in the sunlight after becoming a vampire. She too had been mesmerised by the dancing display of rainbow colours that surged and span with each tiny movement of her fingers. That she had emerged like a beautiful butterfly from the dreadful darkness of her demise had been comfort indeed to the frightened girl.

Carlisle had hinted that the boy had perhaps suffered at the hands of another and she had clearly seen the tell-tale bruising about the boy's throat as she'd watched him sleep last night. Feelings of anger bubbled inside her at the thought that this child might also have been the victim of outrageous cruelty.

,,,

Ryan had agreed to meet the others and so Carlisle gently coaxed him back into the house. He thought that they should perhaps begin with Edward since in human terms they were closest in age.

Edward heard Carlisle's thoughts the moment they were formed.

_I'm sure you've heard everything that's been said so far, Edward. The boy seems to be taking everything remarkably well but I still want him to get a sense of normalcy from us. Don't do anything rash like taking him for a run up a tree, will you._

Edward rolled his eyes at his father. He was always such a worry wart. He looked around his room and suddenly wondered what to do. There was no bed to lounge on and he didn't have any games consoles up here. He looked at his music collection and sniggered. _How do you do, I'm Edward. Would you care to debate the relative merits of Debussy compared to Dvorak? _Yes, that would go down well! Footsteps were fast approaching and in a rare moment of panic he flung himself onto the couch and began drawing a tree on a notepad. _Oh Lord, this fifteen year old is going to think I'm a complete imbecile _he cringed. Too late now; there was a soft knock at the door.

"Edward, are you there? I'd like you to meet our guest."

"Come in," replied Edward, and the door slowly opened.

Carlisle's eyes flickered over the room before Ryan was ushered in. It wasn't often Carlisle came in here and Edward was suddenly concerned at what Carlisle imagined he might find. He would have to question him about that later.

"Edward, this is Ryan who's going to be staying with us." He placed his hands on Ryan's shoulders and gently manoeuvred the child to face Edward. The boy was clearly nervous and his eyes seemed overly interested in studying the hardwood flooring.

"Hello," said Edward, using his most alluring voice. "It's nice to meet you properly. You'd only just woken up when I saw you this morning." He smiled, careful not to reveal too many teeth.

Ryan looked up cautiously and gave a muttered 'hi' in response before dropping his gaze once more.

Edward glared at Carlisle but it was too late. "I'm just going to pop to my office to make a quick call to work," he said to Ryan. "You stay here with Edward for a couple of minutes and then I'll be right back, okay?"

He didn't wait for Ryan to voice a protest and with a reassuring squeeze of the shoulders, Carlisle left the room, softly closing the door behind them.

_I'm sorry to put upon you Edward, but you know I trust you implicitly and wouldn't do this if I had any doubts. I don't want Ryan to become too dependant on Esme or myself; he needs to know that _everyone_ in this family is safe to be around. I promise I will return in a couple of minutes; just see if you can get him to interact with you at all._

Ryan was frozen exactly where Carlisle had left him, still studying the floor. Edward sighed.

"Do you want to see some of my things?" he asked tentatively. He held out a beautifully decorated rain stick he had purchased when visiting Peru one time. Ryan took the object and studied it.

"Do you know what it is?"

Ryan turned it over in his hands and immediately heard the pattering of beans as they slowly slid from one end to the other. A small smile formed on his lips as he tilted the stick again.

"It's called a rain stick," continued Edward. "It's supposed to sound like rain falling. I bet you can't guess what it's made from." He moved to sit back on the couch and gestured for Ryan to join him.

Ryan softly fingered the polished ridges and tiny holes on the instrument. "Is it from a tree?" he asked.

Edward beamed. "Everyone thinks that but it's actually from a dried cactus."

Ryan looked up in surprise before scrutinising the rain stick again.

"How did you make it?" he asked.

"I didn't make it myself," admitted Edward, "But what happens is they take a piece of cactus and…Do you know what a cactus is?" Ryan nodded and Edward continued. "Well they take a piece of cactus and let it dry out. Then they push the spines inside and fill it with tiny pebbles or beans. The ends are then sealed and there you have it."

Ryan tilted it slowly back and forth. "It sounds nice," he said, before holding it closer to his ear and shaking it. He looked at Edward.

"How did you know about the house?" he asked.

Edward frowned in puzzlement as a thousand potential houses flashed through his memory. "What house?"

"I always dream about that house. Sometimes it's bad," he paused, "but the house is always the same. Sometimes in my dream I know that if I go in one of the rooms there's something bad in there."

He stopped abruptly as if catching himself revealing too much. Edward had no idea what to say. His instinct was to lie and say that Ryan had been talking in his sleep but something about the boy made Edward not want to dishonour him like that.

"Carlisle has shown you some of the things that make us different, hasn't he?"

Ryan nodded and smiled as he remembered. "I saw his hand in the sun."

"Well there are other things which set us apart from humans."

"You're not human?" Ryan's attention was all on Edward who mentally berated himself for the careless slip. Carlisle had said they were different but hadn't specifically said not human. He would need to be more careful.

"Well not in the same way as you," he said. "Anyway, it isn't just our appearance that's different. Some of us have abilities too." He paused. Ryan sat and waited patiently. Edward found it rather amusing how the tables had been turned; they were supposed to be discovering more about the child and there he was very successfully getting them to reveal all manner of secrets.

"I can read people's thoughts."

"What do you mean?"

"Whatever someone is thinking or imagining inside their head, I can also hear or see. So when you were having your dream, I saw the pictures in my mind too."

Ryan gaped. "But there are millions of people!" he exclaimed. "How can you see it all, that's too much."

Edward smiled. "I must admit, until I got used to it, it was rather distressing. I have a limited range though, a few miles at most, so I'm not really bombarded with millions of thoughts as you put it. I've also learned to block out much of what I could hear so it really doesn't bother me too much now." He watched Ryan as the boy absorbed the information and pondered how it must seem from a human perspective.

Ryan suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked at Edward. "What colour am I thinking of?"

Edward chuckled. "Now you're going to doubt everything I've just told you. You see, although I could see your thoughts perfectly clearly when you were asleep, I see nothing now you're awake. Somehow you are blocking me out."

Ryan looked most disappointed.

Edward smiled at him. "Your dreams are quite vivid you know; you must have a wonderful imagination."

Ryan blushed a little at the unexpected compliment as he tilted the rain stick once more.

,,,

Emmett gazed pleadingly at Carlisle from the open window. His arms were folded comfortably over the window sill and his legs dangled twenty feet above the ground. Carlisle frowned at him.

"_Please_ do not break that window frame son," he begged. An entire forest to play in and the boy still used the house as his personal jungle gym.

"When can I meet him properly, Carlisle?" he asked again. "I _swear_ I'll be really, really quiet and _totally_ non-threatening."

He attempted the puppy dog look but unfortunately only Rosalie was still susceptible to it.

"Emmett we have to take things slowly. Ryan has been through goodness knows what before he even came into contact with us. If he's going to be part of our family then he will not only need to have a deep understanding of our nature but also the wisdom and ability to keep that nature secret. We can't just expect a child to take all that on board in the space of one day. Let him get a feel for us gradually." He sighed, noting the cloud of disappointment drifting across Emmett's features. He loved Emmett deeply and always admired his unstinting cheerfulness, but this was not a situation to be rushed.

"Emmett, I promise you that soon enough Ryan will be happy to meet you and no doubt he will be thrilled to play Super Mario Pac-Man or whatever with you, but please, let me decide the timing?"

Emmett grinned. "Okay, but soon, right?" He loosened one arm from the window and prepared to drop. "Super Mario Pac-Man? Dad, that's just _embarrassing_!"

,,,

Ryan looked up with obvious relief as Carlisle returned to Edward's room. A sudden look of thoughtfulness swept his face as he looked between the two. Edward didn't need his gift to guess what was crossing the boy's mind.

"Yes, Carlisle knows about my ability," he confirmed.

_I'll be interested to hear how that topic came up for discussion. Has he been alright with you?_

The slight movement of Edward's head, imperceptible to the human eye, gave Carlisle the confirmation he sought.

"Well, Ryan, I'm sure you must be ready for some lunch now. Why don't we go and see what we can get you to eat."

As he led Ryan from the room the boy paused in the doorway. "Thank you," he murmured, though for what exactly, Edward wasn't sure.

,,,

Downstairs Esme was busy preparing lunch for Ryan and as soon as she heard them coming downstairs she carried the tray through to the dining table. Ryan sat down and looked at the fare spread before him: a boiled egg, two slices of buttered toast and a mug of hot sweetened milk. Esme scrutinised his expression and was dismayed to find there was none of the eagerness that he had shown at breakfast. Why was this so? She'd prepared everything in exactly the same way as before. She looked at Carlisle for reassurance and he gestured for her to accompany him back into the kitchen. As Ryan began to eat the food the two vampires whispered out of sight.

"Carlisle he doesn't like it? What did I do wrong? Has he changed his mind? Doesn't he want to stay here?" Her mind was whirling with questions as Carlisle gently ran his fingers through her soft caramel locks and tenderly kissed the tip of her nose.

"I don't think he was expecting the exact same meal twice in a row, my dear, that's all. There are certain foods which humans deem appropriate for different meals and from what I have seen in the hospitals, eggs and toast are more of a breakfast item."

Esme looked completely crestfallen, having failed so early in her contact with the human.

"I'm sure he's not upset," said Carlisle reassuringly. "Listen; he's eating it all steadily so it certainly must taste good. This is all very new to us and will take some adjustment on both sides. I'm sure the internet will provide you with ample information on the dietary requirements of a fifteen year old and then you can plan accordingly."

He had barely finished speaking before Esme flitted up the stairs to her office to scour the websites in order to plan her shopping list. Carlisle looked at Ryan, who was gaping after her, and sighed.

"I believe I mentioned the unprecedented speed."

* * *

_Reviews would be awesome! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you again to those who reviewed - you make my day :)

* * *

Ryan looked rather tired after his meal and so Carlisle suggested he might like to take a nap for a while. As the boy drifted into a comfortable sleep, the familiar blue toy tucked neatly under his chin, the rest of the Cullens gathered in the lounge.

"I must say he already seems to be settling into his new environment well," began Carlisle, "And I thank you for being patient in allowing things to progress at a rather slower pace than you may have wished." He looked around at the faces he had come to know and love over the decades. "So, what have we learned about him so far?"

"He can read and write," said Esme.

"He's very attached to that blue toy," added Alice.

"Probably the only thing that gave him comfort from whoever put their hands on him," snarled Rosalie, picturing the bruises she had seen.

"Yea but I bet once he's healed up and gotten a few good meals in him he'll be fun to have around," said Emmett, though he hadn't quite yet worked out the logistics of a human competing alongside a vampire.

"He's very perceptive," remarked Edward as he related how the boy had stumbled upon his mind-reading abilities.

"I agree," said Carlisle, "You can almost see him trying to figure things out in his head."

"He's terrified of me," murmured Jasper dejectedly causing Carlisle to instantly move to his side.

"Son he isn't terrified of you at all," he said firmly. "Naturally he must have been shocked to say the least but he was remarkably calm when I spoke of our feeding habits this morning and was quite interested in how you managed to appear so suddenly in front of him."

Jasper still looked rather despondent and Carlisle hoped that Ryan would soon feel ready to meet with him, as until that moment, Jasper was likely to be feeling very wretched indeed. He had always struggled with the issue of acceptance. When he and Alice first became a part of the family, Jasper had been convinced that he was only being tolerated because of their desire for Alice. His enduring struggle to maintain a non-human diet had only served to fuel his doubts and Carlisle was certain that if not for his overriding need to make Alice happy, Jasper would have left them long ago. It saddened him that Jasper could not see himself as the rest of them did; a hero who had suffered unbelievable torment at the hands of his creator and yet still found the strength to not only face each day but to constantly strive to better himself. Carlisle yearned for the day when Jasper could look in the mirror and be proud of what he saw.

"Naturally I'm rather intrigued as to the physical anomalies of the boy and I intend to run some tests as soon as he trusts me enough. I am unaware of any of the usual scent of blood about him but then I've become so used to being in close proximity to humans it's hard for me to judge. I need to know with absolute honesty; has he triggered even the slightest thirst in any of you?" His eyes scanned the group but everyone shook their heads, even Jasper who now spoke up.

"It's true that his scent is very nondescript Carlisle, but what if he should have an accident? Suppose he trips and grazes his knee or cuts his hand, what then? I'm not sure I could…" The consternation was clear on Jasper's face as he pictured the consequences of sudden exposure to human blood.

"I appreciate your honesty Jasper, and yes it is something I want to ascertain as soon as possible. I intend to obtain a blood sample and see if it still lacks scent even without the barrier of flesh. Now, does anyone else have any immediate concerns about the boy remaining here?"

"What will we say if someone asks about him?" asked Alice.

Carlisle pondered a moment. "I will need to discuss that with Ryan," he said at last. "If he is willing to disclose his origins then we can decide on the likelihood of anyone in Forks recognising him. The best case scenario would be if he told us exactly who he is and where he's from. Then we could easily track everyone who knows him and ensure their paths do not cross. Unfortunately, for the time being, I'm not sure he is willing or able to share that information with us. That being so, I believe it will be better to have him remain out of sight at the house for the foreseeable future."

"He needs some decent clothing, Carlisle," began Esme, "And I don't think that little study room is suitable for a long term bedroom."

Edward's reaction was instantaneous. "I'm not moving rooms! Just because I'm single, it's not fair; why should I always have to move?"

"Whoa take a chill pill Eddie," laughed Emmett as Edward clenched his fists, having clearly already convinced himself that the family were ganging up on him over this.

"Edward, no one is suggesting you move out of your room," said Carlisle, "And before you jump to any more conclusions, no one will have to share with Ryan either; everyone deserves their own space." He turned his attention back to Esme, giving Edward a little time to calm himself.

"Did you have any ideas in mind, my dear?"

"Well we do have the attic space," she suggested. "The landing is easily large enough for the addition of a small staircase to give easy access. My only worry would be that he might feel a little isolated up there, as if we were just tucking him away out of sight."

Emmett and Rosalie looked at each other simultaneously, their eyes sparkling with unspoken realisation.

"Esme, _we_ could transfer to the attic and Ryan could use our old room," said Rosalie excitedly, her eyes positively dancing with the thrill of how she and Emmett might convert the huge attic space into their own private apartment." Emmett clutched her hand as they both waited in earnest for Esme's reply.

In her head Esme knew there had to be some sort of catch to this arrangement. _Why were they both so eager to give up their room to a human? What could go wrong if they inhabited the attic?_ She glanced at Alice and narrowed her eyes in frustration as her daughter sat there a picture of innocence, refusing to give Esme any information about the future. It was most unfair that the siblings stuck together like this when one or other of them was up to something.

She sighed. "It would definitely make things easier for Ryan as he would have a room of his own right away whilst you two decide how you wish the attic to be redesigned," she said slowly. "But just remember; the attic is still part of this house and will be respected as such."

Two wide-eyed, butter wouldn't melt faces nodded fervently in agreement and so it was decided. New furniture would be ordered for Ryan, items more appropriate for a fifteen year old boy, and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett would begin plans for the conversion.

"I suppose Jasper and I could shop for his clothes," suggested Alice nonchalantly. Everyone chuckled.

"That's very kind of you, Alice," said Carlisle, "Just remember he has probably had very little in the way of belongings before. Don't overwhelm him with things he might feel are far too expensive. Keep it simple, ordinary and comfortable for now. Save the Armani for a later date, hmm?"

Alice pursed her lips and frowned a little at the thought of having to do 'ordinary'. No matter; shopping was shopping and it might make Jasper feel a little better if he did something practical for the boy. She sensed how responsible he felt for the whole situation and was determined to remove the guilt he was currently harbouring.

The meeting began to break up when Edward called for their attention again.

"Before you go, there's something I should confess," he began. Everyone immediately sat down again and Edward rolled his eyes as their speculations tumbled into his mind.

"_No_, I did not have sex with Jessica Stanley. _No_, I did not feed on a human. For heaven's sake, Rosalie,_ no_ I'm not gay! When I was talking with Ryan I sort of let slip that we aren't human." He replayed that part of their conversation again looking sheepishly at Carlisle. "It was very careless of me," he said. "It won't happen again."

Carlisle smiled reassuringly. "I've no doubt that boy will have managed to wheedle every last detail out of us before the week is up. I would rather we refrained from using the term 'vampire' for the moment though. It is highly likely he will have his own associations with that name and I would rather he got to know us as we are and without prejudice."

"Ve von't let you down, master," said Emmett in his best Transylvanian accent, causing everyone to break into shrieks of laughter.

,,,

The previous few days' exertions seemed to have caught up with Ryan for he remained in a deep peaceful sleep until the early evening. Edward checked in now and then but the dreams he saw were just random brief scenes: sliding along a concrete pavement as if it were made of ice; a car which through the course of the dream transformed into a person and then a dog; and thousands of tiny pebbles being pushed into an enormous tree trunk – Edward smiled at that one, knowing he had been partially responsible.

Esme had left Emmett and Rosalie drafting out plans for their attic conversion while she scanned the internet for suitable meal ideas for Ryan. Her research told her that teenagers were often finicky eaters but needed a healthy balanced diet as their bodies were going through enormous changes. In the end she decided to purchase a variety of ingredients for meals from different cultures until she learned what sorts of things he enjoyed. She carefully wrote a list of nutritional requirements: vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and so forth, determined to provide him with everything his body needed.

Alice took Jasper off to shop for Ryan's clothes. To avoid the possibility of someone who knew them questioning why they were suddenly purchasing such a quantity of clothing, they decided to drive the 132 miles to Seattle. They borrowed Carlisle's Mercedes; a sleek sensual machine which made other vehicles want to pull over and bow respectfully as it passed. On the highway, Jasper hit the gas and Alice curled up in her seat, humming a soft lilting melody as she playfully twirled his hair through her fingers. Jasper relaxed and deep purrs of contentment began to reverberate throughout the vehicle.

They were in no particular hurry and always rather enjoyed their moments of solitude. For so many years Alice's guiding light had been the vision of the solemn young man who would prove to be her saviour; the one who would make sense of the bewildering new existence into which she had been born; the one who would provide a future where no past existed. Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, she would close her eyes and allow thousands of images of Jasper to flicker through her mind, like scenes from an old silent movie. And all these images, no matter the time or place, sang to her of tenderness and love, passion and ferocity, honour and loyalty; all the myriad facets which made Jasper so uniquely him and so wonderfully hers. She studied his face now as he watched the road unfolding before them. There had been an unsettled edginess to him ever since his first encounter with the boy. Jasper could perform a hundred acts of bravery or kindness, but in his mind they counted for nothing; he always judged himself by his rare failings, and Alice knew he felt like he had let the family down once more.

"Rosalie seems remarkably protective of the boy," she began. Jasper nodded.

"I picked up that she felt very outraged on his behalf when he first arrived," he said. "I must admit I would have thought that out of everyone she would be the one to balk at having another interloper in the family but she's proved me wrong."

Alice causally continued. "Did you feel how excited Esme is at being a mom all over again? Carlisle of course is thrilled at any new discovery; it will be interesting to discover what makes Ryan's blood so different." She glanced at Jasper and was satisfied to see a half smile on his face.

"Has Emmett said anything?" she asked. Jasper snorted.

"_Anything_? He hasn't shut up about it! He is absolutely champing at the bit to get to know the boy properly. I'm not sure what he's envisaging but we might need to buy a t-shirt with _'I'm Only Human'_ printed on it for Ryan, just to keep Em in check."

Alice laughed. "I think it will be nice for Edward to not be the only unmated person for once too. Ryan seems very curious and Edward would so adore playing the teacher."

The sign _Seattle 35 miles _flashed by as Alice played her trump card.

"I wonder what would have happened to Ryan if you hadn't found him," she mused.

Jasper frowned. "I'm not sure how long a human could survive alone," he said thoughtfully. "It's not like he had any food on him, and then there's the exposure…" He tailed off and looked sharply at Alice as he felt a wave of smugness coming his way.

"Oh," she said with wide-eyed innocence. "You mean not only have you brought pleasure to the entire family, but you might also have just saved someone's life? How terrible of you Jazz!" She shook her head in mock dismay.

Jasper realised he'd been backed into a corner and sighed. "Okay, very clever," he said grinning at her. Really, if ever Alice got bored with high school she would make an excellent lawyer. His face fell again.

"I know in my head what you're saying is right, Alice but I just can't make myself feel it. I keep thinking 'what if'. What if it hadn't been my third deer and I was still thirsty when I saw him? What if his blood _had_ smelled like any other human? What if he had a loving family who were missing him? What if I've just risked exposing our very existence?"

In less than a second Alice had snatched the steering wheel from his grasp and, spinning them into a lay-by, stomped on the brake pedal bringing the car to an abrupt halt. She knelt on her seat to face Jasper who stared in amazement at the anger on her face.

"Now you listen to me Jasper Whitlock," she began, causing Jasper to sink slightly lower in his seat. He knew he was in deep shit whenever she used his full name like that.

"We could all spend our eternity wallowing in 'what ifs'. What if Edward's mom hadn't begged Carlisle to save him? What if Carlisle hadn't been working at that hospital in Ashmont when Esme was brought in? What if they hadn't found Rosalie? What if Rosalie hadn't had the strength to resist Emmett's blood? What if I didn't have visions? What if you hadn't come to the diner?"

Jasper looked down, ashamed.

Alice gently drew her cold fingers down the side of his cheek and shuffled closer. "I can't bear to even _imagine _what my existence would be without you Jazz," she whispered, "All I know is I am eternally grateful for whatever it was that made you decide to step into that particular diner at that particular moment on that particular day. The future is bound to bring challenges, and yes I'm sure one of them might be getting Ryan to come to terms with what he saw in the forest that day, but the fact is you _didn't_ harm him, he _hasn't_ got a loving family waiting for him and he _would_ have died if not for you. So _stop_ focusing on imaginary negatives and start putting all your effort into how you can make his future the best it can be."

She sank back from her tirade, hoping that at least some of it had sunk in. Jasper sat frozen like a statue for a moment before suddenly pulling a surprised Alice onto his lap and kissing her passionately. When the two finally broke apart he held her face gently between his strong hands and looked deep into her eyes.

"Alice… Whitlock… I… love… you…!" he punctuated his words with gentle kisses to her face and neck before smiling at her deeply. "I'm a moody asshole, I know. But, I do solemnly swear," he held up his right hand, "By the fangs of almighty Dracula, that I will accept your kick in the butt and start being more cheerful."

Alice clapped and squealed as she flung herself on him and the Mercedes looked the other way as its occupants enjoyed a further rather vigorous sixty minutes in the lay-by.

* * *

Lack of reviews might provoke the Volturi, so please get typing people :)


	6. Chapter 6

You guys really blow me away with your reviews! Thank you _so_ much. I'm always more than happy to answer any questions anyone has about this story or anything else such as; does Carlisle only have blue shirts in his closet? If Alice can only see visions of humans and vampires bacause she has been both of these, how comes she forecasts the weather - was she once a raindrop? I digress. On with the story...

* * *

Later that afternoon, Esme persuaded Edward to accompany her to an enormous supermarket on the outskirts of Port Angeles. Glancing at her list, Edward wasn't entirely sure that one trip in the Volvo would be sufficient for all the items she intended to get. As he turned the car into the parking lot a familiar voice entered his mind; it sounded horribly like that dreadful Stanley girl from his English class. He furtively scanned the area hoping to locate the source of the irritation and soon spotted her exiting a vehicle with an older woman; presumably the girl's mother. Edward placed his hand on Esme's back and hurried her towards an entrance as far from the girl as possible.

It was the first time either of them had properly shopped in such an enormous supermarket before. True, they often purchased random items from the local stores in Forks just for the sake of appearances, but this was very different. They stood gazing at the bewildering array of aisles and displays, wondering where to begin.

"Perhaps we should just work our way up and down each aisle in turn," suggested Edward. "I'll collect items from the left and you from the right."

Esme agreed to this and so they began.

The first aisle contained fruits and vegetables and immediately the pair hit a snag; how much of each required item to purchase, and which variety? There were so many! They decided to change plans and work as a team on this one and began with the vegetables. The cart soon contained several bags of potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and sundry salad items to add to the cabbage and onion which still resided at home. Next were the fruits. Both of them knew that there was a limit to how long each item would last before decaying and so thought it best to purchase a sampling of each for Ryan to try. Whatever fruits he preferred could be purchased in larger amounts next time. Having accomplished this they moved on to the simpler dried and canned goods.

As they worked their way through the store, Edward's mind was only half on the shopping. He found himself constantly scanning the thoughts in the neighbouring aisles in order to avoid meeting the girl from school. Edward wasn't usually so determined to evade his human classmates; it wasn't like he struck up friendships with any of them and more often than not it was they who preferred to avoid coming face to face with him. Jessica Stanley was proving rather different.

She was a pleasant enough looking creature with wavy brown hair and the experimental make-up he so often noticed on girls of her age. No, it wasn't her looks that repelled him, it was her thoughts. She had developed rather an obsessive crush on him the moment he had begun attending Forks High; a situation not helped when Jasper, egged on by Emmett, augmented her already intense feelings with a little boost of his own. The mere sight of Edward now sent her thoughts spiralling into fantasy land; thoughts which Edward was obliged to witness too.

Her favourite scenario usually began in the classroom. Mr Berty would dismiss the class and everyone would suddenly exit the room leaving she and Edward alone. Innocently she would attempt to pass his desk, clutching her books virgin-like to her chest when suddenly Edward would pounce like an animal. He would fling her with abandon onto a table (miraculously avoiding spinal injury) and proceed to slide his warm (ha, if only she knew) hand up her thigh. She imagined herself biting her lip tremulously and gazing at him wide eyed as he proclaimed his desperate need for her. At this point the books had usually somehow vanished and Edward would produce the luxuriously thick blanket he mysteriously had stashed under his desk. This would be thrown upon the floor for their comfort. Now the fantasy stepped up a notch. Edward would become the innocent shy one and Jessica would prepare to lead him into manhood. He shuddered at the memories. It was quite normal for girls (and occasionally boys) to develop crushes but their imaginings were rarely as blatant as these. Even Emmett and Rosalie would be hard pushed to compete.

So lost was he in thought that he didn't even notice he'd come to the end of an aisle and ran his trolley straight into the side of the one coming round the corner. Fortunately he reacted immediately on impact otherwise the continued force might have torn the other trolley from its owner's hands. He opened his mouth to apologise then froze with horror upon seeing who it was.

Jessica giggled and blushed. "Mom, this is Edward from school," she said.

Mrs Stanley looked him up and down. "Oh so _you're_ Edward," she said, in a tone implying she had a full history on him. "It's so nice to meet you." _If I was Jess's age again I sure as hell wouldn't have waited this long to bed him. God damn that boy's hot!_

It took every ounce of will power for Edward to smile back graciously and return the greeting. Esme approached cautiously; uncertain as to whether Edward wanted her to make an appearance or not. _Edward, do you want me to head off the other way?_

With barely a movement of his lips, Edward sent out his plea, "Help me." Esme joined the group, beaming pleasantly at everyone.

"There you are, Edward," she said, "I wondered where you'd got to. Are these some friends of yours?"

Mrs Stanley extended her hand to greet Esme. "You must be Edward's foster mother. I do think it's wonderful how you and your husband have taken on so many troubled teens. I believe your son has developed a little infatuation with my daughter though." She giggled.

Esme nearly snorted with laughter. Edward's body language screamed repulsion, not infatuation. "Really?" she said. "Well this one has always been something of a lady's man. Carlisle and I have tried to tell him numerous times that he really must focus on his education for now." She sighed and looked at Edward with disappointment. "You _know_ how disappointed we were about that incident at the last school," she said. "Yet here you are breaking all our rules again. Well this leaves us no option, Edward. You are officially grounded for at least six months which means you come home immediately from school every day and you won't be allowed out to socialise or to have friends visit until your punishment is over. Is that clear?" _Tell me if I need to do more._

Edward hung his head in shame. "Sorry Mom," he said, adding inaudibly _I love you and I owe you_.

"So nice to meet you both, but we really must continue with our shopping," said Esme, before steering Edward away from the Stanleys.

"Good Lord, you would never think to look at her, that that tiny woman ruled with such an iron fist," said Mrs Stanley in amazement. "No wonder they have no qualms about adopting all those kids."

Jessica gazed after Edward sadly. Six months! Ah well, hopefully if he kept his nose clean he would be free after that. She would just have to bide her time.

"Esme you are an absolute life saver!" beamed Edward as soon as they were out of sight. She smiled back at him.

"Well you learn to think on your feet when you parent 'troubled teens'," she laughed.

,,,

Carlisle was just completing some notes on his laptop when he heard soft footsteps padding across the carpeted floor; Ryan must be awake. The door opened a fraction and a dark eye surveyed the scene, presumably to see who was about. Carlisle continued to type as the door opened further and the figure moved swiftly but quietly across to the cloakroom. When he re-emerged Carlisle smiled across to him.

"Sleep well?"

Ryan nodded and came across to Carlisle.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"Shopping mostly," answered Carlisle. "They'll probably be a while yet."

"Is Edward in his room?"

Carlisle felt very pleased to hear the hopeful tone; clearly the boy had felt at ease in Edward's company. "No, I'm afraid Esme took him to help with the shopping. Emmett and Rosalie are upstairs though. Would you like to meet them?"

Carlisle heard all movement upstairs cease as the two waited to hear what Ryan had to say. The boy took a deep breath and sucked in his lower lip. "Okay."

Emmett and Rose had in fact been in the middle of planning the layout of their little love nest in the attic. They'd been thrilled at how easily Esme had granted their request and ever since had been discussing their ideas. Rose wanted a luxurious en-suite bathroom with a walk in shower large enough to accommodate them both. She also planned to have an extensive make-up area where she and Alice could spend hours trying out different looks. Emmett had one whole end of the attic reserved for electronic games. The eighty inch 3-D plasma screen he had seen advertised by a manufacturer in Japan was going to take pride of place on one wall and would be hooked up to his various games consoles. Jasper was going to _beg_ to come up here. The rest of the room would be dominated by their bed; a solid oak construction with a twenty-four inch thick cashmere stuffed mattress, boasting a spring count of 2400. Each spring was wrapped in its own fabric tube and worked independently from the other springs providing ultimate support and durability. The entire mattress was upholstered in the softest Belgian cotton damask, double hand stitched around the edge for added strength. Strange to go into such detail about a mattress? Those who know Rosalie and Emmett will think not. The mattress has succeeded where many others have failed and is worthy of accolade.

None of these items were yet in the attic of course. The pair had simply been planning the layout and supposedly moving all the other stored items to one end where a partitioned storage area was to be built. They sat now, hand in hand on two packing crates, waiting for the arrival of their human guest.

"Don't frighten him," murmured Rosalie, to which Emmett snorted and remarked that the only thing likely to frighten the boy would be if he ever caught sight of the ninety thousand make-up products she'd left strewn all over their bathroom. Emmett found himself being unceremoniously booted off his crate though managed to grab his wife's ankles as he fell. The two tumbled shrieking and giggling into a heap on the floor just as Ryan's head appeared through the open hatch followed by a completely unsurprised Carlisle.

Ryan smirked and looked down at his feet as Rose and Emmett jumped up, straightening their clothes. They looked sheepishly at Carlisle who managed to keep a very straight face.

"This," he said, "is Rosalie and Emmett."

The couple were hit by a sudden unfamiliar shyness and gave a timid 'hi' accompanied by a small wave of the hand. Carlisle helped to break the ice.

"So, have you two decided what you're going to do with the place yet?" he asked.

Emmett became very animated and began pointing out the alterations and installations they had planned. Rosalie hung back and looked at Ryan. She smiled gently at him.

"Do you want to come and look out of the window?" she asked. "You can see for miles from up here."

She led him across to one of the small windows which overlooked the forest and he gazed out at the seemingly never-ending greenery.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

As she looked through the window with him she glanced at his reflection; something wasn't quite right. Then she realised; he also was studying a reflection – hers. She kept quite still then glanced again to see if he was still looking. Their eyes met and he immediately looked down, embarrassed at having been caught staring.

"S...sorry," he mumbled.

Rosalie smiled and placed a soothing hand on his arm. "Nothing to be sorry for, silly. It's okay to look at me, I won't bite." She winced as soon as the words were out but it was too late to withdraw them. She looked at him cautiously and was very relieved to see a half smile creeping onto his face. Feeling rather out of her depth, she turned, hoping to be rescued by the males, and found them both watching with interest.

"You don't bite, Rose?" asked Emmett in mock horror. "Seriously, Ryan, don't _ever_ get on her wrong side – she can be ferocious."

"Oh shut up," hissed Rosalie, pouting at him, causing Emmett to raise his hands in surrender and to look at Ryan as if to say '_see_'.

Ryan's smile was becoming more relaxed at the light hearted banter going on so Carlisle decided to push things along again.

"Ryan, would you be up for helping Emmett and Rose with a little sorting out up here for a while?" he asked. "Maybe keep Emmett safe from harm," he added with a chuckle. The smile plummeted from Ryan's face at these words but Emmett wasn't about to let him escape that easily.

"Dude you've _totally_ got to help me," he said, "Rose is making me do all the work; I need an ally."

When Emmett turned on the charm, few humans could ever resist and Ryan was no exception. The smile crept back and he nodded and murmured _okay_.

"Awesome!"

,,,

Carlisle stayed for a little while just to make sure Ryan really was going to be alright and then drifted away to leave them to it. There were still numerous small boxes of ornaments and soft furnishings to be stacked up, along with various oddments of furniture; if the two vampires hadn't been so absorbed in planning they would have had all the tidying done in a few seconds. Now, however they had a human helper. Emmett explained the plan.

"We've got to move all of these boxes and this old furniture up to that corner over there. Esme's going to partition off part of the attic just for storage and the rest is for me and Rose."

"Your bedrooms are going to be up here?" asked Ryan curiously. Neither of them missed the pluralisation.

"Well, just one bedroom," corrected Rosalie.

Ryan looked at them. "You…"

"We're married," she interjected. Somehow this child's opinion mattered to her and she didn't want him thinking badly of them.

Ryan just nodded his head briefly before moving over to one of the boxes Emmett had pointed out. He hefted it up into his arms and carried it over to the far corner reserved for storage. Emmett and Rosalie glanced at each other.

"Has Carlisle told him about our strength?" whispered Rosalie.

"I don't know, he never said. Maybe we should act human for now, just in case."

And with that the pair picked up one box apiece and put it with Ryan's. They worked silently for a while before Emmett's curiosity got the better of him.

"So, Ryan, what games d'you play?"

Ryan paused with the carrying and looked thoughtful. "What do you mean?"

"You know," prompted Emmett, "Like PlayStation, Wii, Xbox?"

Ryan stared at him blankly.

"Video games?" Emmett was becoming worried. "Have you played any video games before?"

Ryan shook his head.

Emmett's mouth dropped open in amazement before a huge grin spread across his features.

"_Sweet_! Man you are going to _love_ video games!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes at her ten year old husband.

"Grand Theft Auto is pretty cool but me and Jazz are mostly playing Street Fighter 4 at the moment; you can be Sakura," he laughed. The frown on Ryan's face said that Emmett was speaking a completely alien language so Rose decided to intercede.

"Em it would probably be easier just to show him later on," she said. "How can anyone possibly hope to follow what you're saying if they've never even seen a games console?"

"Spoil sport. Anyway I have to whet his appetite for the games, give him the lowdown so he can help me take down Jazz."

Ryan looked at Emmett. "Is 'Jazz' Jasper?" he asked.

Emmett sat down on a nearby box. "He's really upset with himself that he scared you like that, Ryan, he feels really bad about it. But seriously, you don't have to be frightened of him at all; you'll really like him once you meet him properly."

"And you'll love Alice, his wife," added Rosalie.

Ryan's eyebrows shot up. "Are you _all_ married?"

"Edward's not – hey maybe you can help him find a girlfriend!" joked Emmett.

Ryan wasn't laughing; he just looking confused. Rosalie decided to explain.

"Carlisle told you we aren't all actually related hasn't he?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes but he said you were his children."

"Well in a way we are. He's the one who sort of invited each of us to be a part of his family. But I met Emmett before Carlisle knew him and Alice and Jasper were already a couple when they joined us."

Emmett could see that a dozen more questions were forming in the boy's mind and he feared that without Carlisle present they might give away something they shouldn't, just like Eddie had done. This was _way_ more difficult than when they were just pretending to be Carlisle and Esme's adopted human kids at school. He decided to steer the conversation around.

"So you'll be cool when you meet Jasper, right? Give him a chance to show you what he's really like?"

Ryan nodded. "I'm not mad at him or anything," he offered by way of explanation. "I didn't know what you were then."

Emmett and Rosalie shared a glance. Just what _did_ he think they were?

* * *

I know as much about video games as poor Ryan does, so forgive me if my information is inaccurate or way out of date. As always reviews are the coolest thing ever! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you for the reviews and the questions - I hope I answered them clearly enough. Oh, and Alice herself explained to me why she can forescast the weather. Apparently she has a vision of the Cullens doing something and just notices the weather in that vision. Now why didn't I think of that?

* * *

A distant sound caught their attention and they simultaneously turned to look towards a window. Rosalie smiled.

"It's Esme and Edward," she said. "Alice must still be dragging poor Jasper round town."

Ryan pressed his face close to the window though the car was still two miles away. He looked out across the grounds in front of the house, puzzled.

"Where?" he asked.

Emmett flashed Rosalie a look. "Well… they're not quite here yet," he said. "You should see the car in about five minutes."

"How do you know they're coming?" he asked again.

Damn if he wasn't persistent. "Well, we kinda… It's like we… Well we…" Emmett was floundering badly. Nothing could explain this away except the truth. "We heard the car coming," he said at last with a shrug.

Ryan appeared to be listening hard though the car was still well outside his auditory range. He looked up enquiringly.

"Yeah, we can hear really well."

Now Ryan was extremely attentive. "How far away can you hear things?" he asked.

"The car was just over two miles away when we heard the engine," said Rosalie, "If that gives you some idea."

"Two _miles_," he whispered, almost to himself. "What else can you do?"

This was going to get out of hand if they weren't careful. "Carlisle's in charge," said Rosalie quickly, "So it's up to him to tell you. You should really ask him."

Ryan's eyes positively sparkled with anticipation. "So you _can_ do more," he murmured.

The Volvo sped up to the garage and disappeared from view as Edward neatly parked. Ryan could just about hear the sound of the rear hatch being slammed shut.

"Come on," said Emmett. "I guess we should go downstairs now."

,,,

They met Esme and Edward coming into the house carrying several large boxes of food between them which they placed on the dining table. Esme beamed when she saw Ryan.

"Sweetheart, you're awake," she exclaimed. "Have you had a nice afternoon?"

Ryan was suddenly shy, being the focus of so many pairs of eyes, and he half stood behind Rosalie as he politely answered, "Yes, thank you."

"Looks like you bought half the store, Mom," chuckled Emmett, going over to rummage through the goods. Esme smacked his hand away.

"Hands off!" she said. "These are for Ryan."

Ryan looked aghast. "But that's so much!" he cried. "All that money!"

Emmett wrapped one arm around the boy's shoulders and pulled him close so he could whisper in his ear.

"Rule one of the Cullen household: _Never_ prevent the women from shopping. Seriously, it's what they exist to do. I think it's essential to the smooth running of the universe; if a Cullen girl doesn't get to use a credit card each day then everything will implode or something."

Ryan still looked rather awkward at the thought of money being spent on him so Esme decided to reassure him further.

"Actually," she said, "You're doing us an enormous favour in giving us something genuine to spend our money on. We usually buy some food each week, just for appearances, but it tends to go to waste. Now we have a real reason to shop and we will fit in with other people so much better."

Ryan couldn't fault the logic but it left him feeling uncomfortable. Rosalie stepped in to divert the attention.

"What's up with you Edward?" she asked, noting he was scowling somewhat more than usual. Edward curled his lip in disgust.

"That damnable Jessica Stanley."

His siblings laughed as soon as they heard the name, for they had all witnessed the unfortunate girl's attempts to win Edward's affections on many occasion.

"Don't be mean, Edward," admonished Esme. "You can't blame the girl for finding you attractive."

Edward rolled his eyes. "If you were party to her thoughts, Esme, you would find the idea of her presence as distasteful as I."

Esme ruffled her moody son's hair, causing him to huff in frustration before stalking off to his room. "Come on, Ryan," she said, "You can help put away the shopping."

She gave Ryan a box to carry before picking up the rest of the shopping with one hand and leading him through into the bright airy kitchen. Despite being rarely used, the kitchen was actually one of Esme's favourite rooms in the house. She had vague human memories of comfort and companionship associated with this room and always felt drawn here. It was being here that had suddenly inspired the boiled egg and toast on Ryan's first morning. The image of being safe and loved in a sunny yellow bedroom, dipping toast soldiers into a gloriously golden yolk had suddenly flashed into her mind and she had wanted so much to convey those same feelings of refuge to the frightened boy.

She placed the boxes of groceries onto the granite work surface and looked at the numerous empty cupboards thoughtfully.

"Do you know," she said, "I can pretty much build an entire house from scratch but I have not got a _clue_ how to put away shopping! Any ideas?"

Ryan looked into one of the boxes which was packed full of tinned goods. "Maybe we could put all the tins in one cupboard?" he offered cautiously.

"I tell you what," said Esme. "I'll put the fresh items into the fridge and you sort out the other things however you think best."

There was a sudden flurry followed by the closing of the fridge door.

"I'm just going to see how Emmett and Rosalie are getting on," she said. "And remember, no one else _ever_ uses the kitchen, so you put things _exactly_ where you want them, okay?"

Satisfied that Ryan was on board with the plan she flitted softly up to the attic hoping that their ideas hadn't gotten as far as indoor Jacuzzis.

,,,

Ryan stood for a moment, wondering if he should begin, before carefully unpacking all the items from the boxes and laying them out in neat rows on the table. He'd never seen such an outstanding array of food before, outside of a store of course, and he spent some time studying the labels carefully. Some of the items looked rather intriguing; ratatouille, chicken tikka masala, pressed cod roe, though he had no idea what they might taste like. He arranged them carefully into categories; meat, vegetables, fish, pasta, unknown (the cod roe was placed here) and then began transferring them to the empty shelves.

As he worked, his mind drifted back over the events of the past twenty-four hours. It was hard to believe that only yesterday he had been so cold and miserable hidden in that bush and yet here he was unpacking enough food to last him months. He pondered the strange family who were being so kind to him and ran through their names in his head. Carlisle; he was a very kind man but Ryan still felt a little nervous of him. True, nothing bad had happened yet, but what if he made him do something really scary? Ryan couldn't think of what that thing might actually be, but still, it was a worry. At the same time as he made Ryan feel awed, he also made him feel safe when he was around. It was all very puzzling.

Esme was nice though Ryan wondered if she could also be very strict. He determined not to make her cross if he could help it. He liked Edward, perhaps because he seemed a bit shy too. Ryan thought about Edward's mind reading ability and tried to imagine what it would be like. You would know straight away if someone was mad at you, he thought, and then you could get away before you got in trouble; that would be useful.

His thoughts drifted to Rosalie and he half smiled to himself. She was so pretty, I mean really, _really_ pretty. He blushed again when he recalled how she'd caught him staring at her in the window; at least she hadn't made fun of him. It was weird to think she and Emmett were married too, 'cause they only looked about nineteen or something. And she made it sound like they'd met ages ago.

Emmett seemed quite ordinary really except he was _massive_. Ryan wasn't sure he'd ever seen anyone who looked as solid as Emmett before. You'd think he'd be really scary but he wasn't at all somehow. He was a bit exhausting though; Ryan didn't think he'd be able to keep up with him for long. He wondered what the games were he'd kept going on about, which brought his thoughts round to Jasper, or Jazz as Emmett had called him. He knew that he'd have to come face to face again with Jasper sooner or later (probably sooner knowing how Carlisle worked). He just hoped that the man wasn't still angry with him for spying on him in the forest.

Emmett was the first to hear the distant purr of Carlisle's Mercedes and flew back to the kitchen to prepare Ryan. He was only three feet from the boy's back when it occurred to him that Ryan might not like to have a vampire suddenly appearing in front of him and so whirling around, he backtracked to a safe distance. He coughed politely and waited for Ryan to turn round before sauntering over at a much more human pace.

"So, er, Alice and Jasper are back," he said casually, trying to gauge the boy's reaction. Ryan stared towards the front door and visibly tensed. Emmett sighed.

"Please, please, please don't be scared of Jasper," he pleaded. "Seriously, he feels really bad about what happened in the forest; he's been beating himself up over it ever since. And trust me; Jasper's not exactly overflowing with self-esteem at the best of times. Just give him a chance, you'll see, he's really cool once you get to know him." The puppy dog eyes were working overtime and Ryan felt powerless to deny him.

"He won't be mad at me, will he?" he whispered.

"Mad at you?" exclaimed Emmett incredulously. "You guys are as bad as each other! Listen, stay here and I'll go get Jazz. You two just need to meet properly and then everything will be cool." He sped off to the garage leaving Ryan nervously chewing at the ragged flesh around his fingernails.

Esme was helping Alice retrieve the many bags and parcels from the boot of the car while Carlisle was wondering why the gear lever was now slightly bent to one side. Previous experience told him he was probably better off not knowing and just asking Rosalie to tend to it when she had a moment.

Emmett somersaulted in through the open doorway and landed on top of his jeep, right next to where Jasper was standing. His brother eyed him warily.

"Come on Jazz, time to face your demons," he announced. Jasper narrowed his eyes suspiciously, wondering what the hell Emmett was up to this time.

"The human!" Emmett rolled his eyes. "Come on, the kid's in the kitchen waiting for you."

Jasper's mouth fell open in dismay and he backed away before Emmett could get hold of him. He felt the eyes of his family upon him; he hadn't felt this trapped since his time with Maria and her unspeakable methods of getting him to do her bidding. This was different though, he had to admit. This time he was being coerced into doing the right thing; he really did need to make amends with the child even if the boy still hated him afterwards. He almost laughed to himself. How ridiculous! He, a vampire of 140 years, terrified of facing a fragile human. He ran his fingers through his thick honey blond locks and sighed resignedly.

"Alright, alright, I'll go talk to him. But don't rush me; I need to work out what I'm going to say first."

"Nu uh," Emmett shook his head as he placed his hand firmly on Jasper's back. "Thinking bad, doing good," he said as he shoved. "The kid's nervous as hell in there, don't make him sweat any longer."

Jasper found himself being propelled unceremoniously into the house and out towards the kitchen. For the second time in twenty-four hours, Ryan and Jasper faced each other.

"I'm sorry for…" Both of them blurted out their apologies simultaneously causing Emmett, who had decided to referee, to laugh heartily.

"Okay, one at a time guys, you first Jazz."

Jasper pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and straddled it, folding his arms across the high wooden back and resting his chin on it.

"I'm so sorry for the distress I must have caused you," he began. "Truly I had no idea that you were there or I would never have allowed you to witness my actions. I know what you saw must have both frightened and disgusted you and I understand fully that you probably won't want anything to do with me, but please believe me when I say I am deeply, deeply sorry and I'll do anything to put things right."

Ryan could hardly believe what he was hearing. This was all wrong.

"You, you don't have to be sorry," he said, "I'm the one who spoilt things. I interrupted what you were doing, I, I shouldn't have been watching you, well, except I didn't know you were going to be there and…" he tailed off, feeling rather muddled. He began again. "What I mean is, you didn't do anything wrong and I'm not scared about what you did because Carlisle told me about it, that you were only feeding and, well, you didn't do anything wrong. I didn't mean to make you mad. I'm sorry." He looked down at the floor and scrunched his toes nervously.

Jasper stared at him in amazement. _Only feeding_? This boy was astounding! Did he genuinely accept everything about them so easily? Jasper focussed on the child's emotions but detected no deception at all. The boy really was apologising for interrupting Jasper's feed. Incredible!

"Fresh start?" he asked, watching as Ryan lifted his gaze to meet Jasper's.

"Fresh start."

"Alright!" whooped Emmett. "Just Alice now and then you're officially part of the family."

* * *

Please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE spare the time to leave a little review. Thank you :)


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you once more for the very kind reviews! New Years resolution - to take the time to reply to everyone. As Aro once told me: I do love happy reviewers, they are so rare. Couple of mentions to reviewers who didn't have a reply button link thingummy (apologies for the high-tech lingo there) - Sarah, Skyfiresarah and Lea - thank you for reading and enjoying!

* * *

Alice, who had been impatiently waiting in the lounge, now swooped into the kitchen armed with a dozen bags of recent purchases. She dumped the bags in a heap on the floor and greeted Ryan like a long lost friend.

"Finally!" she sang as she wrapped her arms around him excitedly. "You are going to _love _what we got for you."

Clutching his hand firmly in one of hers, she swept up all the bags with the other and marched him back into the lounge. The others left her to it in amusement, mentally wishing the boy luck with his first Alice make-over.

"You sit there," she commanded, as Ryan perched nervously on the edge of the sofa. "Tops first I think."

Out of the bags poured more shirts and sweaters than Ryan had owned in his entire life; his eyes boggled at the bewildering array.

"We got everything in three sizes just to be certain," she said, sorting the packages into neat piles at his feet. "_I_ wanted to measure you but Carlisle said we weren't to disturb you." The look on her face clearly showed her opinion on anyone possibly being 'disturbed' at the prospect of being measured for new clothes; she would never understand some members of her family's reluctant attitude to fashion. She pulled one of the shirts from its packaging; a simple dark blue button down with a light sheen to it. Holding it up to Ryan she beamed enthusiastically.

"Try it on."

Ryan was positively rigid with tension at this point as he stared at Alice in consternation. It was Jasper who stepped in to help.

"Alice, it's a little exposed out here don't you think?" he murmured. "Maybe in Ryan's room?" He smiled warmly at the boy and gestured with a slight tilt of his head.

Alice was about to follow the boy into his room when her husband touched her softly on the shoulder.

"He's fifteen," he said, grinning. "I don't think he needs help."

Alice pursed her lips thoughtfully. This wasn't going as she'd planned at all. She looked at Ryan.

"Okay, you try everything on and put all the ones that fit into one pile. But when you finally get some closet space _I'm_ going to organise it for you. Satisfied with the arrangements she allowed him to disappear into his room unaided.

With the door firmly shut, Ryan worked his way stoically through the new purchases. Truth be told he was used to wearing whatever was given to him; whether it fit or not hadn't often come into the equation. In the end he put all the items which were not too short or too tight into one pile and all the others went back into the bags. The pile still looked huge. Ryan pondered what to do. It would look like he was trying to keep all of these clothes which would be incredibly greedy and he didn't want to offend this new family who were being phenomenally kind to him. On the other hand, if he rejected too many clothes, would it look like he was being picky and ungrateful? He nibbled at his thumbnail while he deliberated, wishing that they would just tell him what to do instead of giving him choices. He wasn't used to having any autonomy; he knew he didn't deserve that. This was all very difficult.

In the end he decided he would return about a third of the items which fit and hope for the best.

In the lounge, an equally nervous Alice was studying the closed door feeling frustrated that Ryan was so indecisive; the clothes he would eventually settle upon kept changing. Jasper folded his arms softly around her shoulders and nuzzled her porcelain neck, breathing in her intoxicating scent of wild bluebells. She smiled at his successful attempt at distraction and turned to return the embrace.

"It's very quiet in there," she said. "Do you think he's finished?" She smacked Jasper playfully on the shoulder as he progressed from her neck to sucking on her earlobe. Jasper grinned.

"Be nice to him," he said. "No matter what he's decided to keep."

,,,

The door eventually opened and Ryan sidled out, announcing he had finished trying everything on. He smiled shyly at Jasper and Alice, quietly thanking them for all the things. Alice hid her disappointment well at the small pile of accepted clothing, reassured when Carlisle whispered to her that to Ryan this probably constituted an entire wardrobe.

,,,

Twilight fell and Esme decided it was time to feed Ryan again. This time she was determined to cook something other than boiled eggs and toast. Carlisle was preparing to leave for his shift at the hospital, Rosalie and Emmett were once more ensconced in the attic and Jasper and Alice were teaching Ryan how to play backgammon. Only Edward was unoccupied and so Esme implored him to come and help in the kitchen.

"What are we making?" enquired Edward after taking a moment to memorise where Ryan had stored each item in the kitchen.

Esme opened the web page she had saved earlier. "Bolognese," she announced. "I ran several searches and it crops up regularly on favourite meal lists."

Edward scanned the instructions. "What do you want me to do?" he asked smiling.

The two made an excellent team and soon the aroma of sautéed onions and browning mince wafted through the house.

Rosalie gagged. "What in God's name is that awful stench?" she cried, flying downstairs to investigate. She held her breath as she peeped into the kitchen, clearly the source of the offending odour.

Edward and Esme were busily dicing bacon, chopping mushrooms and grating cheese, neither of them breathing.

"Esme, it's _everywhere_!" exclaimed Rosalie, flinging open the windows. "All my clothes will smell!"

Esme clapped her hand to her mouth and quickly turned on the extractor fans full blast.

"Rose I'm _so_ sorry!"

Edward rolled his eyes at his sister. "It will make a change from smelling of grass stains and Emmett," he said slyly as she glared at him.

The meal was soon prepared and looked exactly like the one on the web site. With a glass of orange juice and a small bowl of salad to finish it off, Ryan was summoned to the kitchen. A broad grin crept across his face when he saw the meal spread before him. He had steeled himself for the prospect of eggs and toast again and so this fare was a delightful surprise. As he sat down, Esme looked him directly in the eye.

"We haven't tried it because we have no idea what it's supposed to taste like," she said, "So you have to be absolutely one hundred percent honest. If it doesn't taste good you have to say so and then we can make it differently next time."

Ryan looked very reluctant to be critical.

"If you were serving me a bowl of blood, would _you_ know if it was good or not?" asked Edward, turning the situation around much to Esme's horror.

Ryan quirked a grin as he pictured that scenario before taking a mouthful of the sauce. His actions spoke louder than words as he forked down the delicious meal, trying not to flick too much sauce on the table as he tried to control the pasta. He added a little salt to his bowl of salad before demolishing it in between hefty gulps of the fresh juice. Esme and Edward smiled in satisfaction at their first culinary success.

,,,

Ryan insisted on washing the dishes after his meal while Edward looked on from his perch on top of a cabinet. The silence lay thick about the room.

"What, no more questions?" chuckled Edward.

Ryan looked up at him solemnly. "Only about a bazillion," came the reply. Edward raised his eyebrows inviting Ryan to ask away.

"What would happen if you did eat food? Would it poison you?"

Edward smiled. "No it isn't poisonous to us, we just can't digest it. The food would just lie in our stomachs; it's rather uncomfortable actually."

"So you have tried to eat normal food?" Ryan blushed. "I mean, my kind of food."

"Oh yes," said Edward. "Life gets a little repetitive after a hundred years or more. You'd be surprised at the kind of dares we devise."

Even as the words slipped out Edward cringed inwardly, but it was too late to retract them.

"A hundred years?"

Edward stole a glance towards the kitchen door. Certainly the others had heard their conversation; he could quite clearly hear their opinions:

_Idiot!_

_Nice one bro!_

_He's handled everything else; I wonder how he'll take this bit of information?_

_Edward, do you need me to distract him or something?_

This last was from Jasper. Edward never ceased to be amazed at how Jasper was always there for everyone else and yet thought so little of himself. He realised with chagrin that a mere twenty-four hours ago _he_ had been the one adding to Jasper's lack of esteem. He decided to handle it by himself.

"We're all a lot older than we appear," he said. "I'm actually 109 years old."

Ryan snorted with laughter before the realisation dawned that Edward was being serious.

"A hundred and _nine_?" he asked incredulously. "I thought you were about eighteen. Really? A hundred and nine years old? Earth years?"

The 'earth years' comment was intriguing; _What other kind of years would there be_? puzzled Edward.

"Guess how old Carlisle is."

Ryan wrinkled his nose as he ran through some guesses in his head.

"A hundred and fifty?"

"Try 370 give or take."

Ryan's mouth was agape as he absorbed this information. "How long do you live for?" he whispered.

Edward paused. "Well, pretty much forever."

,,,

The look on Ryan's face told Edward that his thoughts were a million miles away as he pondered the enormity of what Edward had just revealed. Edward listened to the concerns of his family regarding how Ryan was responding but chose to ignore them. If they were so concerned, they shouldn't keep leaving him alone with the boy! He watched as the tea-towel slowly encircled the already dry plate Ryan was holding.

"Does it bother you that we are so old?" he asked finally.

Ryan broke out of his trance. "No, it's just…" he searched for an appropriate word…"weird." He looked sharply at Edward when he realised how his comment might be interpreted.

"Oh I don't mean _you're_ weird," he said hurriedly, "It's just, well, living forever. _That_ would be weird." He looked thoughtful again. "Is Carlisle the oldest one?"

"Yes, in this family Carlisle is the oldest. There are other…" Dear God, how close had he just come to saying _vampire_; Carlisle's one stipulation! "There are others like us who are much older."

"Are there lots of you on earth?"

Again with the 'earth' comment. A sudden flash of insight left Edward struggling to maintain a straight face: Ryan thought they were aliens.

"Quite a lot, yes," he answered. "But we rarely come into contact with each other."

"Do they all look like you?"

"Well if you mean the same paleness then yes, we all look similar." He took the tea-towel and dish from Ryan before the boy thought to ask if all their eyes were the same colour. "Are you up for another game of backgammon?"

,,,

By 10 o'clock Ryan was starting to flag. After the third huge yawn in succession, Esme gently suggested that maybe it was time for bed. She gave him his privacy while he changed into one of the new sets of pyjamas Alice had chosen, listening carefully from the lounge until she heard sounds indicating he was safely under the covers. She knocked gently at the door, opening it to see him looking up at her sleepily from the sofa. She perched on the edge of the sofa and tenderly brushed some stray strands of hair out of his eyes.

"It's been quite a day for you, hasn't it," she said.

Ryan nodded thoughtfully before succumbing to yet another vast yawn. Esme chuckled.

"I think you'll sleep well tonight." She paused to study his face. "You do feel okay here, don't you?" she asked. "I mean, you do feel safe. I know it was a lot to take in today; it can't have been easy for you, but I really want you to know that this home is safe; no one will hurt you here."

She gazed him with such love in her golden eyes that Ryan wondered if it were possible to feel any more secure than he did right now; cosily snuggled beneath the soft covers with this woman looking at him so protectively. He nodded.

"I know."

* * *

Sorry it's a little short but Ryan was really tired and the Cullens kept asking me to wrap it up so they could go and hunt. So, he's now met all of the family members properly and learned quite a lot about them. Maybe it's time for him to reciprocate and share a little of his background, daunting as that prospect may be for him. (By the way, I've changed the rating to M as I've just realised things will be heating up a little in chapters to come. I hope this doesn't create problems). Oh, what's this little button down here? It says 'review'...I wonder what happens when you click on it...


	9. Chapter 9

Most of the Cullens took advantage of the night to go and hunt, leaving Alice and Jasper at home just in case Ryan awoke. They sped deep into the forest together, scenting the air as they went, trying to catch a hint of suitable prey.

Edward, the fastest amongst them, dropped to a predatory crouch as the subtle tang of carnivore ghosted across his tongue. Tiny trickles of venom began to pool in his mouth in anticipation of the kill and the burn in his throat increased, demanding to be subdued. His nostrils flared as he detected where the trail was most intense and in a split second he was gone, sprinting through the undergrowth with agility, causing barely a leaf to flutter in his wake.

Two miles further on, the scent began to strengthen indicating he was nearing the source. Edward's eyes darkened a shade and his mind zoned in completely on the prey. In this moment he was no longer Edward Cullen, sixteen year old high school student, accomplished pianist, adoptive son of Dr and Mrs Cullen. He was predator supreme, possessor of hunting skills honed to perfection through thousands of years of evolution; he was vampire.

The moon watched with silent gaze as Edward slunk stealthily across the rocky outcrop towards the overhang where his meal awaited. It was a male mountain lion, resting under the protection of the granite rock. He was a young one, not yet mated, and had been gradually marking out a territory for himself deep in the forest. His huge padded paws stretched out in front of him as he flexed his claws lazily. Something tickled his hide and he casually lifted his head to lick at the irritation with slow, languorous strokes of his tongue.

In that moment he sensed a disturbance in the flow of air nearby and rolled to his feet in readiness. A deep throaty growl echoed in his chest as he hunkered down onto his haunches in readiness to spring.

Edward launched himself forward in a low dive, flinging the stunned beast back against the rock face, momentarily knocking the breath from its lungs. The lion hissed with fury and tried to find purchase with claws and teeth as they futilely raked Edward's impenetrable skin. With deftness, Edward trapped the flailing animal between his thighs and grasped its head in his hands. Powerful muscles contracted and the lion lay limp on the ground, its neck cleanly broken.

Edward tilted the head back to gain direct access to the large jugular vein and sliced it open with his razor sharp teeth. His mouth clamped over the wound and he sucked furiously as the ambrosial liquid slid down his burning throat, cooling and quenching the thirst to which he was forever destined to be slave.

The moon cast a luminescence to his skin as his clear topaz eyes surveyed the night scene with satisfaction.

,,,

It was rather a quiet shift at the hospital and Carlisle used the time to ponder different cover stories for Ryan. He decided the most natural explanation would be that he was an emergency foster child for now, preferably from a contact out of state. This would make it harder for any curious social workers to detect the fraudulency of the documents he would produce.

He was very pleased at how the boy had dealt with the family thus far; nothing he had been told had fazed him up to now which was most unexpected. Carlisle had imagined having to constantly reassure the boy and calm his fears after every revelation, particularly the issue of their feeding, but it hadn't turned out that way at all. Was it because he was still pretty much a child that he was so accepting? Or was it simply that the Cullens were the lesser of two evils? He frowned as he recalled the bruising on the boy; it was hardly surprising he was being so guarded in hiding his identity from them. Their main task, he decided, was to reassure the boy that he wasn't going to be sent back to whatever he had escaped from in the first place.

A rapid beeping from his pager indicated he was required in ER and Carlisle hurried to attend to the patient.

,,,

If Carlisle had still had a functioning heart it would surely have skipped a beat at the sight which awaited him in the examination room. An eighteen month old girl lay screaming inside a baby bath while an equally hysterical woman begged the nurse to help. An angry red blister covered most of the infant's chest and part of her right arm, clearly causing her to writhe in agony. A nurse was dousing the whole area repeatedly with cool water whilst another prepared to insert a cannula into the child's hand in order to administer pain relief.

All previous thoughts fled from Carlisle's mind as he focused totally on the situation at hand. With calm precision he gave orders for the correct dosage of analgesic to be delivered whilst requesting several tubes of Silvadene and dressings. As the pain killers took effect, the child's sobs quietened and she began to suck steadily on her pacifier which had an immediate effect on the terrified mother. Carlisle took a moment to crouch down to the woman's level and smiled reassuringly at her.

"It's going to be alright," he said. "These sorts of burns look devastating but trust me, they heal remarkably well and given her young age there is unlikely to be any scarring."

The woman stared at Carlisle with such naked trust that for a moment he felt quite overwhelmed.

With the child in less discomfort and the scalded flesh well cooled, it was a simple matter of smothering the skin in a thick layer of the antiseptic cream before applying a large non-stick pad which was taped into place around the body.

"We'll keep her in overnight, just to ensure no infection has set in," he said. "We have special rooms for children of this age so you will be able to stay with her all night. All being well you will be able to take her home tomorrow. You will need to change the dressing twice a day and rinse the whole area with luke-warm water. Allow it to dry naturally and then re-apply the cream and a fresh pad. Make sure you apply the cream thickly. Take her to your doctor after three days just to check that the blister is healing properly."

The woman looked at him timidly. "Don't you want to know how it happened?" she asked.

Carlisle studied her face. He had witnessed the results of countless deliberately inflicted injuries in his time and had had to listen with disgust as the perpetrators wove their casual lies and explanations. Thankfully in these modern times, stories were not accepted at face value and questions were always asked, particularly where children were involved. Something told him, however, that this young mother felt nothing but love for her child. He smiled again.

"I'm afraid someone will be in to discuss the circumstances with you," he said, "But please don't distress yourself; it's just part of our procedures."

The woman nodded. "It was a mug of coffee. Stupid, I know. I popped it on the sideboard for just a second to pick up some toys and then she…she was…screaming… and I…"

Uncontrollable tears flooded down the woman's cheeks as she crumpled before him, sobbing. Carlisle offered her a box of tissues and squeezed her shoulder gently.

"I'm a father myself," he said, smiling. "Trust me; they don't get into any less mischief with age. Just wait till she's old enough to start climbing trees!" He winked at her eliciting a small smile in return.

"Thank you," she said, wiping her eyes. She peeped at her daughter who was now sound asleep in the little carry crib. "You're very kind."

Carlisle watched as the nurse led her away to the room where she and her daughter could rest peacefully together. The coffee incident was unfortunately all too common but not a case for concern. The social worker would probably offer some common sense advice and the matter would be closed. He glanced up at the clock; 12.30am, and his thoughts once more drifted back to Ryan.

,,,

The rain clattered relentlessly against the window, waking Ryan from his deep sleep. The dull light from the edge of the curtains told him it was morning though he had no idea how early or late. He raised his arms above his head and stretched his body before sitting up. He couldn't hear any sounds from the lounge so maybe they were all still in bed. He'd lost track of the days so had no idea if it was the weekend or not; he wouldn't want to disturb them if they were having a lie-in. He delved under the duvet for the blue toy and pressed it briefly to his face. He turned it over in his hands and traced the worn stitching of his name with one finger. Unexpected tears threatened to spill so he stuffed the toy under a pillow and swiped roughly at his eyes.

Pushing back the covers, he padded softly over to the window. Tweaking the curtain to one side, he looked out. Esme and Carlisle were standing together in the middle of the lawn, near to where Carlisle's doctor bag had been unceremoniously dropped. Rain plastered Esme's caramel curls to her head and the silky green dress she wore clung provocatively to the curves of her body. Carlisle gazed into his wife's eyes as he gently drew a finger down the side of her face before tracing the outline of her luscious lips. Esme's tongue flicked out across the tip of his finger before sucking it slowly into her mouth. Carlisle's eyes half closed as his wife ground her hips slowly against his groin. She tilted her head back fully, allowing him access to the exposed alabaster flesh of her slender neck. Carlisle left a trail of kisses across her throat before nipping gently at the base of her neck. As Esme reached round to free Carlisle's shirt from his trousers, Ryan carefully replaced the curtain. He had a good idea where that was leading and was certain he didn't want to watch!

He selected some of the new clothes he had received yesterday and dressed as quietly as he could before tip-toeing out into the lounge. He saw immediately that stealth wasn't required; everyone was apparently up. Edward sat with a keyboard on his lap and earphones in. His fingers flew up and down the keys only pausing now and then to scribble something on a pad of paper. Emmett and Jasper were engaged in a complicated game of chess using four boards and two sets of pieces with Alice looking on. Rosalie was perched on the sofa scrutinising her face in a mirror as she experimented with various shades of lipstick. She looked up as Ryan sidled into the room.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to sleep so long. I didn't know what the time was."

"It's 6.37am," announced Alice from across the room. "See, Jasper, I _told_ you we should have bought him a watch."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "_See_, Alice," he answered mockingly. "Now you get to go shopping _again_!"

"Six thirty-seven?" gaped Ryan. "What time do you all get up?"

The vampires froze. How did he keep doing it? How did he keep getting them to reveal things?

"Well here's the thing," said Emmett. "We don't actually go to bed."

"They let you stay up all night?"

"Don't get excited, kid," interjected Jasper. "We don't go to bed because we don't sleep. You _do_ sleep so don't think you're going to be staying up late."

"What do you mean, you don't sleep? What, ever?" Ryan was beginning to wonder if these beings had anything in common with humans at all.

"No, never," replied Jasper.

"So what do you do all night?" queried Ryan before suddenly blushing furiously.

Emmett sniggered at his reaction, knowing full well what had occurred to the boy.

"That and other things: play games, watch TV, hunt, stuff like that."

The conversation was interrupted as a soaked Esme and Carlisle fluttered into the room before staring statue like at Ryan who suddenly became rather interested in studying the floor. The pair glanced down at their dishevelled appearance before vanishing in a blur to their bedroom amidst gales of laughter from their children.

"That was so cool," laughed Emmett. "You _totally_ embarrassed them!"

Ryan began to look rather distressed by that remark; he really didn't want to get into trouble already. Alice patted his arm reassuringly.

"It's a good thing," she said, winking. "Come on, I believe you need to feed again."

,,,

In the kitchen, Alice peered into the various cupboards with curiosity.

"What do I make?" she asked, studying a tin of macaroni cheese.

"I can do it," replied Ryan, reaching for one of the many cereal boxes and a bowl.

She continued to explore the kitchen as he munched quietly on the chocolate flavoured hoops.

"Do you like it here so far?" she asked.

Ryan nodded. "This is like the nicest place I've ever been," he said.

Alice beamed. "I _knew_ it was the best decision." She twirled round the table with pleasure before coming to rest on the chair opposite him. Ryan glanced up through his overgrown fringe and saw her studying him.

"What's wrong?" he asked at last.

"Your hair," she said bluntly. "I can cut it for you if you like."

Ryan wondered just how optional this really was. She seemed quite a determined character. Alice drifted round to where he sat and lifted a chunk of his hair appraisingly.

"Just a tiny trim," she announced. "Just to make it tidy. I won't take off much and it will look _so_ much nicer, I promise."

He didn't have the heart to disappoint her aside from the fact that Jasper might get annoyed if he upset his wife. "Alright," he said. "But not too much, okay?"

,,,

Carlisle and Esme nonchalantly approached the kitchen, ready to deny any inappropriateness in their prior behaviour. They paused to take in the scene before them. Ryan was sitting meekly on a chair with a towel draped around his shoulders while Alice carefully snipped at the strands of hair between her fingers. Rosalie stood motionless in front of Ryan holding up a large mirror so he could see every stage of the transformation. Emmett, Edward and Jasper stood nearby watching the proceedings; they had all promised to intervene the second the hairstyle headed towards anything remotely outlandish.

"All done," sang Alice as she ruffled Ryan's hair to shake off any remaining cuttings. "Wax." She held out her hand into which Jasper obediently placed the pot of styling wax. Alice rubbed a small piece between her fingers before running it through the boy's hair, teasing and twisting the strands into shape. With a flourish she whipped the towel from his shoulders and stood back to admire.

"Very smart!" applauded Carlisle and Esme, as Ryan grinned sheepishly at his much tidier reflection in the mirror.

"Thanks," he said, turning to Alice. "That actually looks really good."

"Of course it does," she replied, as if there could have been any other outcome.

,,,

With breakfast over and the kitchen tidied up, Carlisle took Ryan to one side.

"Don't look so worried," he said, taking in the boy's solemn expression. "We just need to discuss some things. I want to be absolutely honest with you here, Ryan, and I hope you will do me the honour of hearing what I have to say."

Ryan just nodded glumly; this was the part where they told him it wasn't working out and he needed to leave.

"I think it would be best if we say that we have been asked to foster you as an emergency case," began Carlisle. Ryan's head flew up to meet Carlisle's gaze.

"You mean I can stay here?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course you're staying here," replied Carlisle. "I thought you were okay with that."

Tears of relief welled up in Ryan's eyes and a stray one escaped to splash onto his jeans. "I just don't know why you would let me," he began. "I can't do half the things you can; what can _I_ do for you?"

It pained Carlisle to know the boy only measured his worth in terms of services he could provide.

"We aren't looking for you to do anything for us," he said kindly. "We just want you to be a part of our family; you don't have to earn a place or anything. None of us is a part of this family through merit." He softly brushed the dampness from Ryan's cheeks with his thumb before continuing.

"You know by now that we are very different and it is essential that others do not find out about our nature." He watched to make sure Ryan was taking this in. "It is crucial to our safety that you confide in no one about what you have learned."

"I wouldn't tell anyone," replied Ryan, shaking his head. "I swear I won't."

Carlisle smiled. "Thank you for that. It isn't always easy to hide the truth but your willingness to try is very pleasing." He hesitated before continuing.

"We've shared a lot of information freely with you, Ryan, but so far we haven't learned much about you. A few small details would make it much easier for us." His topaz eyes bore deep into Ryan who felt himself swimming in their golden warmth and at that moment would have told this man anything he wanted to know.

"What do you want to know?" he whispered.

"Well how about your full name and the town you came from."

Ryan took a deep breath. "Jameson, Ryan Jameson. I lived in Gresham near Portland."

"Portland, Oregon?" exclaimed Carlisle. "That's nearly two hundred miles away!"

Ryan hung his head. "I don't even know where we are right now," he admitted.

Carlisle vanished to his study and returned two seconds later with a large atlas of the United States. Flicking through the pages he pointed out the relative locations of Portland and Forks to Ryan.

"This is where we are," he explained. "Forks, Washington. And there's Portland"

Ryan glanced at the map briefly and Carlisle realised that at this point in time, Ryan was probably not too concerned about his geographical location.

"Well," he said, closing the book. "What I intend to do now is create some documentation stating that you had to be taken into emergency foster care. I can pretend I knew the social worker involved when I worked in Portland before and, knowing we've taken in teens before, she decided we would be a suitable placement seeing as there were no spaces anywhere in Portland." With that, he vanished down to the hidden room behind the garage, to begin preparing the necessary papers.

Ryan was quite shocked that Carlisle would comfortably tell such untruths; he always seemed so upright and honest. But if it meant he got to stay with the Cullens then he was willing to go along with whatever story they concocted. It wasn't as if it was the first time he'd been asked to lie.

* * *

Up next: Pfff, review and you'll find out!


	10. Chapter 10

A very Happy New Year to all vampires, shape-shifters and humans. I hope 2011 proves to be a great year for you all.

* * *

Ryan was still studying the map when Jasper came over. Jasper, like all the vampires, had overheard the conversation between Ryan and Carlisle but only he had sensed the rising tension in the boy. He took care to scuff his feet a little as he approached the boy, who heard the noise and looked up.

"Looking at the atlas, huh?" began Jasper. For one who had been so charismatic a major, casual conversation was never his strong point. He could barely remember his human years yet knew that in order to rise through the ranks so swiftly, he must have been verbally adept. His time with Maria had crushed that out of him though, as opinions were swiftly countered with torn limbs and the withholding of precious blood to sooth the burn. Jasper soon learned to keep quiet and just follow orders. He still found it hard at times to be himself around others, and couldn't quite seem to find a happy medium between stony silence and overt aggression when he interacted with Carlisle. It was strange that he could be quite relaxed when horsing around with Edward and Emmett or teasing the girls and yet found it impossible to be the same way with Carlisle. He supposed it was because Carlisle was first and foremost the leader in Jasper's eyes though he was the polar opposite of the type of leader Maria had been. Jasper secretly craved Carlisle's approval and yearned for the day when he could prove his worth to the man who had become his father. He sat down at the table next to Ryan and studied the map with him.

"Carlisle showed you where we are?" he asked.

Ryan nodded. "He wanted to know where I'm from. Did you know about this fostering thing?"

Jasper smiled and debated whether or not to ease the boy's stress. "You know that none of us has been through official adoption channels, right? If we want to fit in then we need to have paperwork to back up our stories. It's no big deal."

Ryan nodded again and Jasper studied him.

"What's worrying you about all this?" he asked.

"Nothing, I'm okay," said Ryan quickly.

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "On a scale of one to ten with one being asleep and ten being about to crawl up the wall with nerves, I'd say you were a twelve."

Ryan chewed his bottom lip and frowned. "It's not _that_ bad," he said.

Jasper sighed. "You know Edward can read minds, right?" he began. "Well I can read emotions. I can tell exactly what anyone is really feeling at any moment. I can _feel_ how you do."

Ryan looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and exhaustion. Was there no end to the things these beings could do?

Jasper continued. "What I'm trying to say is, I can feel exactly how tense you are right now. It can't be easy trying to absorb what you've learned in the past twenty-four hours on top of whatever you were dealing with before." He paused. "If you want to ask about something then you really should; it might help take away some of your worries."

Ryan half opened his mouth to say something before clamping it shut again. He fiddled nervously with his hands instead.

Jasper decided not to push the boy and opted for distraction instead. Lord knows it helped him when negative thoughts were whirling so fast inside his mind that he thought his head would surely explode.

"Do you like books?" he asked.

Ryan looked up, nodding.

"Come on, we've got hundreds."

,,,

Jasper pushed open the door to his small study revealing shelves stacked high with numerous books. He'd always found enormous comfort in reading and sometimes, when if felt like he was barely clinging onto sanity, he would come and sit quietly in this room, breathing in the scents of paper and card and ink, and it would feel, for a while like he was wrapped in a protective cocoon. Maybe Ryan would feel some of that too.

"What kind of thing do you like reading about?" he asked.

Ryan ran his eyes along the spines and shrugged. "I don't mind really."

Jasper thought for a moment before springing up to retrieve a book from one of the higher shelves. He landed silently on his feet and held out the book; a beautiful glossy volume containing photos of magnificent animals from all around the globe. Ryan took it carefully as Jasper watched his reaction.

"Recipe book?"

There was a moment of absolute silence before Jasper's mouth quirked and he laughed out loud. Ryan's face lit up with pleasure at causing such mirth.

"You got a wicked sense of humour, kid," laughed Jasper approvingly. "Come on, let's take it downstairs."

,,,

Carlisle hummed to himself as he watched the final document emerge from the printer before adding it to the pile in front of him. There was now sufficient paperwork to explain Ryan's sudden placement with the Cullens, just in case an overzealous official made enquiries. It had not been difficult to add information onto the computer system in Oregon either; detailed enough to back up their story but vague enough that the source was untraceable. Not that Carlisle anticipated anyone looking into the case. Edward had already checked into any Jameson's in Gresham and found only four listings for them. One was an elderly couple, one an unmarried school teacher, one a recently deceased woman and the last a young family. No Ryan was mentioned in any of the data. Carlisle didn't doubt that Ryan was telling the truth; it wasn't often he used the full force of his vampiric charms to elicit information but when he did, he was fairly certain of the results.

He gathered the documents together and placed them into the purposely battered file. For authenticity, the Cullens had supplies of copier paper of varying ages and sometimes used slightly paler ink to add to the faded look. Ryan's file now looked as though it had been put together over a period of many months instead of a single hour.

Esme drifted silently into the room and gave her husband a loving peck on the cheek.

"All done?" she asked, wrapping a slender arm around his waist. Carlisle nodded.

"As far as anyone else will be concerned, Ryan was removed suddenly from an abusive situation. The social worker who dealt with the case had met us on several occasions when we lived in Portland and, knowing how we had successfully raised five wonderful adopted children," he paused to kiss his wife on the tip of her nose, "she wondered if we had room for one more. Naturally we said yes and so she drove up with the boy last week."

Carlisle perched against the edge of the table as Esme leant against his chest and rested her head against his shoulder. He ran his fingers softly through her gently curling hair and inhaled deeply as her delicious floral scent wafted up. Esme purred with contentment at the soothing caresses as she relaxed in her husband's embrace.

"I wonder what his real story is," she murmured. "The poor child must have been through some kind of terror with so many dreadful marks upon his neck." She wrapped her arms around Carlisle's back and drew him even closer.

"Hopefully, now that he has shared a little information with us, he will open up more and more. He already seems fairly comfortable in our children's company; maybe they will coax his background from him," mused Carlisle.

His hands left the softness of Esme's hair and began to trail down her spine, his fingertips creating tiny tickly paths which caused her to shiver with delight.

"I'm glad he took so well to Jasper," continued Carlisle. He chuckled. "Perhaps Emmett should consider a career as a peace envoy." His fingers were now definitely concentrating on the region below her waist and his mouth began to leave a trail of warm kisses down the side of her neck.

Esme pressed further against him, enjoying the thrill of power she always felt on feeling the increased swelling within his trousers. Her hands slid underneath his shirt and she delicately ran her fingers in swirls across his back.

"Edward suspects that he thinks we're aliens," giggled Esme, but Carlisle was no longer able to respond, for at that moment he prised her lips apart with his tongue and the two were lost in each other.

,,,

Ryan had been with the Cullens for several days now and an easy routine was beginning to develop. To help him feel like he had a role in the family, Esme allowed him to help in the preparation of his meals and the washing-up afterwards. He was still rather shy when everyone was together but interacted well with individuals. Esme decided to leave the décor as it was in Emmett and Rosalie's old room, as the neutral cream coloured walls and stripped oak flooring would go with whatever items Ryan chose to add later. The furniture arrived and Esme and Emmett waited until Ryan was occupied playing cards with Alice before installing it in his room.

Jasper watched, amused, as his wife played out a carefully orchestrated mixture of wins and losses leaving Ryan oblivious to the fact that she knew every hand before it was even dealt. Alice's uncanny gift for seeing the future had proven quite lucrative to the Cullens and the steady stream of successful stock market trades which she suggested, increased their already substantial assets considerably. Vast amounts of the wealth were anonymously donated to charitable causes on a regular basis, yet even with this they were still rich beyond belief. There was little the Cullens couldn't afford to purchase outright, even whole islands.

Emmett swung himself over the banister rail landing neatly on Jasper's back, knocking him to the floor. "C'mon Ry, it's ready."

Ryan watched as Jasper deftly threw his brother off. "What's ready?" he asked.

"Your _room_!" exclaimed Emmett excitedly. He reached out a hand as if to grab Ryan's arm, who promptly put his arms up defensively.

"_Emmett_!" hissed Alice angrily. "Stop being so physical all the time." She rose gracefully to her feet and offered a dainty hand to Ryan. "You have a proper bedroom all to yourself now," she said, beaming at him. "And you are going to _love_ it." She linked arms with him and walked up the stairs at a human pace, marvelling at how hot humans always felt.

Esme was waiting nervously outside the door. Her family had always been nothing but delighted and appreciative of her design ideas in their homes over the years but this was the first time she had tried to please a human. She reminded herself repeatedly that everything was changeable if necessary and it wasn't to be taken as a personal rejection. She was suddenly reminded of her early days living with Carlisle and Edward. How she had agonised over every added doily or vase of flowers in case they hated it.

Carlisle had never willingly displayed disapproval at any of her alterations. It later transpired he had been just as fearful of upsetting her as she had of him, and several years passed before they felt comfortable at expressing themselves honestly with each other. Edward was rarely so shy in those earlier days, his boldness partly fuelled by adolescent pangs of jealousy at no longer being the sole focus of Carlisle's attentions. Sadly it took Edward's tragic disappearance from their lives for them both to fully appreciate just how difficult things had been for the young man. Not only had he suffered the devastating loss of both his human parents within days of each other, he had been forced to re-visit those feelings all over again with the arrival of Esme. Not that Carlisle had been neglectful of his son, quite the contrary. However, reality and perception are often quite mismatched and, though he would never admit it, Edward had secretly been terrified that Carlisle would reject him outright in favour of his mate. Thankfully, as decades passed, Edward had come to realise that his place within the family was rock solid and more and more enjoyed Esme's role as surrogate mother.

Ryan smiled nervously at Esme as she pushed open the door to the room. He could almost feel the excitement coming off of tiny Alice, who was gently propelling him forwards and, truth be told, he was rather curious himself. The little room downstairs in which he had slept so far was lovely enough; sometimes, if he woke up during the night, he would try to stay awake for a while just so he could lay there in the dark enjoying the warmth and quiet and security. The idea of a whole proper bedroom was quite beyond his imagination; a far cry from the dank mattress crammed into what should have been a utility room.

As the door opened and he stepped forward, his first thoughts were of how clean and fresh it all smelled. Light poured in through the large open window and reflected off the polished wooden surfaces and the bright cream coloured walls. In the centre of the room was a large bed made of rich dark walnut wood and dressed with a luxurious midnight blue quilt which reached almost to the floor. Next to the bed was a small table with a bedside lamp and a cream rug. There was a writing desk in one corner of the room on which Jasper had thoughtfully put the animal book. Two other doors led off the room and Ryan wondered what lay beyond, though he didn't feel confident enough to just go and see.

"What do you think?" asked Esme cautiously. "It can easily be changed, I mean we can repaint the walls, maybe a shade of blue or green, and new bedding isn't a problem…"

"It's beautiful."

The whispered response wiped away Esme's worries and she hugged the boy gently.

"You have your own bathroom through here," she said, opening one of the doors. Ryan peeped in and saw the clean white lines of a large tub and walk-in shower.

"_This_ will be the best bit though," added Alice, tugging him gently towards the other door. She tapped it open with her toe revealing a huge closet with numerous rails and shelves and drawers. A mere fraction of the space was taken up by the possessions he had acquired thus far and Ryan couldn't imagine ever coming anywhere near to filling the space. Of course at this point he had only known Alice for a few days.

"You must make this room your own though," insisted Esme. "You can put up pictures and move things around if you like. You aren't a guest anymore."

"Ha!" laughed Emmett. "That's Esme speak for you gotta clean it yourself."

Ryan smiled. "I want to keep it nice; I want it to stay just like this." He ran his hand admiringly across the quilt and tried to resist the urge to check if the little bump up near the pillows was Blue. He reassured himself that if it wasn't, then the toy must surely still be in the other room; they wouldn't have thrown it out. Would they?

Temptation overwhelmed him and he tweaked the cover just enough to reveal the matted blue fur before tucking it back, relieved.

,,,

As Ryan walked across to the window to peer out at the view, the others drifted away. Edward, in the neighbouring room, heard them leave and slipped out into the empty hallway and towards Ryan's room. He knocked softly on the door frame.

"May I come in?"

"Course," replied Ryan.

Edward held out the small book he was clutching.

"This is for you," he said. "It's nothing much but I thought you might like to have it."

Ryan took the book carefully and studied it. It was a beautiful journal with a soft leather cover, fastened by a strap across the front. The pages were of smooth cream parchment lightly edged in dull gold.

"Edward, are you sure? I mean, this is _really_ expensive."

Edward chuckled; for the Cullens there was no such thing as 'really expensive'.

"I'm positive," he said. "I have dozens of them." He frowned as a thought occurred to him.

"You don't have to write in it if you don't want to. I just thought, maybe," suddenly Edward felt awkward; he wasn't trying to buy the child's friendship was he? _Good grief, Edward, what have you come to!_

Ryan fingered the supple cover thoughtfully. "Can I draw in it? I sometimes like drawing things."

Edward grinned; pleased his gift had been accepted. "Wait there," he said suddenly. He flew to his room to rummage at the back of a desk drawer. With a blur he returned.

"Here, you're going to need something to draw with." He held out a lovely set of various HB pencils and a rainbow of colours.

"Can I ask you something, Edward?"

He took Edward's silence as a yes.

"What's _really_ going to happen to me?"

"What do you mean?" asked Edward.

"Well I can't just live with you forever." His tone of voice clearly expressed his sadness over this fact.

"This is true," agreed Edward. "One day, no doubt, you will fall in love and get married and have children and…"

Ryan sniggered. "You know what I meant."

Edward tipped his head and looked at Ryan quizzically. "Why do you imagine you can't stay with us until that time? If you want to, that is. Carlisle would never force you to stay if you didn't want to, regardless of…" he hesitated.

"Of what?"

"You possess rather a lot of information about us. Should that information ever become public knowledge our very existence would be threatened."

Ryan frowned. "I already told Carlisle I won't say anything, and it's true. I'm not stupid; I know I'd probably be dead if he hadn't brought me here. I'm not going to repay that by getting you all in trouble, even if I wasn't allowed to stay."

Edward took a deep, unnecessary breath. "Hmmm. So you _do_ want to stay?"

Ryan nodded. "But only if people want me to, not if they feel like they have to."

"Well then it's settled. You're here until the day I get to be best man at your wedding," concluded Edward triumphantly.

,,,

Carlisle and Esme listened shamelessly to the gentle banter between Edward and Ryan. They had both been worried at how Edward might take to yet another addition to their family but the fact that he had chosen not to skulk in his room was an extremely positive sign. His spirits would be lifted even further when he found out that Valeska was planning to visit.

"Speaking of Valeska," said Carlisle. "I really need to get those blood tests completed on Ryan. I know she will respect our wishes but there's no sense in leaving anything to chance."

Esme agreed. The greatest risk to Ryan at the moment lay with others who did not follow the Cullen lifestyle.

* * *

Hmmm, now who, I wonder, is Valeska? A smattering of reviews and I might be persuaded to reveal all. x


	11. Chapter 11

Only two reviews! Hangs head in shame and despondency. Ah well, if even one soul is continuing to read this story then it is worthwhile. :)

* * *

Edward read the text message with unbridled delight; Valeska was planning to visit for a few days. She had already checked with Carlisle that the family were still in the area but had asked him to refrain from telling Edward so she could surprise him. _That explains the relentless recitation of Homer's Iliad these past few days _chuckled Edward to himself. When Carlisle blocked his thoughts it only served to fuel Edward's curiosity even more, however, after a hundred years of practice, Carlisle was quite adept at keeping Edward out. Edward lay back on the couch in his room and folded his hands behind his head. With his pale lilac eyelids closed and the serene look upon his face, a human onlooker might have imagined him to be sleeping. Images of Valeska flashed through his mind and a smile of satisfaction played upon his lips.

,,,

He had first come across Valeska during his early years of rebellion. She was a nomadic vampire of Russian origin, turned in the sixteenth century during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Her family had been peasant villagers, living a quiet existence in the heart of the Russian Taiga when they had been set upon by vampires. Had there been any witnesses they would surely have gone insane at the scene of devastation that night. The three vampires knew that no help could come to aid the village and, after initially sating their thirsts with three or four people each, they proceeded to toy with their remaining food. They took great delight in passing unseen behind a human and slashing a gaping wound into their flesh as they went. One vampire perched in the branches of a tree, sucking the life blood from an infant as the mother screamed and clawed uselessly at the trunk below.

Two of the vampires were a mated pair but the third, upon seeing Valeska cowering in terror near the hearth of her home, decided that she would make a fine companion. He grabbed the frightened girl roughly around the waist and bounded away through the trees a few miles from the village. Once there he gouged and slashed at the flesh on her arms and legs, allowing his venom to pour into the wounds, sealing them instantly into an inferno. Not wishing to miss out on the feed, he then returned to his companions, leaving the girl writhing and screaming in agony, pleading with God to end her life.

When he returned, three days later, he was thrilled to note the flaxen haired beauty crouching at the base of a tree, gazing at him with wild red eyes. Smiling, he reached out to offer her his hand, whereupon, with a feral growl of loathing, she leapt at him, screaming and flailing until she had ripped him limb from limb. Having despatched with her tormentor she sped away into the woods never to be seen again.

The male vampire, after several days, was made whole again but it was too late. His potential mate had vanished and there was no longer any sign of her scent to follow.

It was in 1930 that Edward and Valeska's paths were destined to cross. By then, Edward had been away from Esme and Carlisle for three years and had spiralled downwards into despair and self-loathing. His plans to become some kind of avenging angel lay in tatters as he felt nothing but guilt and shame over every victim, yet couldn't resist succumbing to the temptation to feed every time the thirst raged. He had just fed upon a drunken man who had been planning on returning home to rape his wife before beating her senseless once more, and was currently racing through the wilderness on the border between Minnesota and Canada when he suddenly caught the scent of the unfamiliar vampire. Curiosity drove him to follow the trail which appeared to end at the edge of a lake. As he stood staring across the waters there was a slight rustle of leaves and a stunning woman dropped from the boughs above and landed cat-like in front of him.

"I hope tracking is not supposed to be your gift," she purred, trailing her slim cold fingers under his chin.

Edward stared into her ruby red eyes. Apart from Esme and Carlisle, she was the first of his kind he'd come across, and quite frankly he was captivated. Valeska was well aware of the effect she had on males, human or vampire, and chuckled softly.

"Cat got your tongue?"

Edward recovered himself and stepped back, anxious not to lose face. "I wasn't trying to track you, I was just curious." He scrutinised her thoughts but all he heard was an unfamiliar language. Something of Slavic origin he fancied. Slowly, Valeska circled him.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she asked.

Edward thrust out his hand. "Edward Cu… Masen," he said, before angrily withdrawing his hand in response to her waves of laughter.

"What a sweet child," she exclaimed, when her laughter had subsided. "You're not very old, are you." It was a statement, not a question and Edward bridled at it.

"I'm seventeen!" he retorted. "Hardly a child."

Her expression softened. "I meant in vampire terms," she whispered. "I'm nearly four hundred."

"Oh." Edward dropped his gaze, feeling foolish. "I was turned in 1918."

She raised her eyebrows in astonishment. "So young? What happened to your creator?"

Edward turned to look across the water again. "I left him. We argued and… well, _I_ argued."

Valeska sensed his reluctance to discuss the matter any further and decided to change the subject. She had met dozens of vampires over the centuries but none quite as lost as this young creature and she was intrigued by him.

"Come," she said. "Let's run!"

Over the coming days they ranged the Canadian wilderness; leaping across wide chasms, scaling rocky cliff faces, enjoying the feel of the wind through their hair as they raced together. Valeska told Edward of her origins and he was appalled at the savagery of the vampires. It only served to remind him once again just how unique Carlisle was and how apart from things he must have felt during his years of solitude.

It was on the shore of a crystal clear lake on a starlit night that they first mated. They had been running most of the day and had now lain down on the rocky shore, gazing up at the myriad constellations blanketing the velvety sky above them. Without a word, Valeska had turned towards Edward and begun trailing her fingers lightly in circles across his granite chest. As her fingers wandered further, Edward felt a surge of lust and growled instinctively. Valeska smiled knowingly and seated herself across his stomach, her long hair draping in swirls across his chest as she lowered herself to nuzzle his throat.

Edward's eyes darkened with need as he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. Valeska turned her attentions to his lips and smiled to herself as she felt his swelling desire beneath her. Edward pulled her head firmly towards him and gently prised her lips apart with his tongue, deepening the kiss. A soft moan of pleasure escaped Valeska as she began to writhe against him. Sliding to one side she made quick work of removing their garments as he frantically sucked and licked his way across her exposed breasts and down to the smooth alabaster skin of her stomach.

With a purr she pushed him back against the ground and once more straddled his hips, gently guiding his length into her wetness until he filled her completely. Slowly she began to rock her body back and forth as Edward slid his hands from the curves of her breasts down to her perfect waist. As she felt her peak approaching she leaned forward, increasing the tempo of her motions, moaning and sighing with pleasure. A feral growl erupted from her as she fisted his bronze hair and he felt the delicious clenching of her release. A tightening low in his belly caused Edward to lose all control and with a final shuddering thrust he spilled into her warmth.

"Mmm, definitely _not_ a child," she purred, as she ran her cool tongue along his neck.

,,,

Although perfectly comfortable with feeding in the traditional manner, Valeska was curious to hear about Carlisle's philosophy. The more Edward spoke of his creator, the more it became apparent to her that Edward was desperate to return. Only a mixture of youthful pride and crushing guilt stood in the way. With Valeska's encouragement Edward began to feed on animals once more, carefully keeping to the remotest regions in order to avoid temptation. Valeska herself sampled a large caribou but was completely disgusted by the taste, much to Edward's amusement. Finally, with much encouragement, she stood in the shadows of the small long distance telephone booth as Edward placed the call Carlisle and Esme had been yearning for.

As the decades passed, they regularly sought each other's company; a task made much easier with the invention of cell phones. Edward was thrilled by the untempered wildness of the woman, and Valeska in turn adored Edward's mix of unstinting loyalty and sharp humour. The subject of becoming a mated pair never arose, as neither one felt the need for such a relationship, and so they remained at most, to use Emmett's turn of phrase, fuck buddies.

,,,

Carlisle decided it would be best to take Ryan to the hospital in order to run a few tests. Not only would it be a safe environment, should his blood turn out to have the usual tantalizing scent, but it would also begin to lay the foundations for their cover story. He chose a time when Mrs Mayhew would be working on reception, knowing she would delight in passing on the information like wildfire.

"Good morning, Mrs Mayhew, how are we today?" He allowed his dazzling charm to linger on her just a moment longer than usual, noticing the rapid dilation of her pupils and the elevation of her pulse rate.

"Oh, Dr Cullen," she giggled. "I didn't know you were in today." The tip of her tongue flicked across her upper lip for just a second as she straightened up in her seat, advertising her ample bosom to the delectable doctor. Carlisle smiled encouragingly.

,,,

Meredith Mayhew had worked at Forks hospital for seven years and during that time had managed to compile enough gossip on the townsfolk to write several books. The hospital didn't actually need paper files and computer records. Should it ever be razed to the ground, Meredith would be all the back-up they needed.

Her husband, Derek, was a quiet, easy going man who worked for a pharmaceutical company based in Port Angeles. He liked routine; the steady nine to five of his job, fishing for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon and knowing that when he arrived home from work, his slippers and a mug of fresh coffee would be waiting for him. He loved Meredith dearly and was quite happy to go along with her whims, be they a new colour scheme for the bedroom or a two week vacation to Palm Springs. So long as she made all the decisions for him, he didn't mind. Meredith in turn found Derek to be the perfect husband. She knew he would never refuse her wishes and it gave her a little tingle of power every time she began a sentence with 'Derek, I've been thinking,' and noted the placid look of acceptance in his eyes. She would never for one moment consider leaving him but that didn't mean she couldn't window shop now and then, right?

She remembered clearly the day Dr Cullen had first arrived at the hospital. Dr Gerandy had sent round a memo the week before, announcing that there would be a new surgeon joining the staff to replace Arthur Jefferson who was taking early retirement next month. She had put on her best two piece suit and worn the pearl necklace and earring set she had suggested Derek buy her last Christmas. Drenched in a hefty spray of Chanel, she had kept vigil at the reception desk, awaiting his arrival. She was not disappointed.

The elegant blond male who swept with graceful movements through the double doors could surely have walked right out of a fashion magazine. All discretion went out the window as she found herself staring captivated at his pale face. Not even the faint purple shadows under his golden eyes could mar his outstanding beauty. The pounding of blood in her ears subsided just enough for her to hear Dr Gerandy saying, 'and this is Mrs Mayhew, one of our receptionists who deals with new admittances'. At this point the new doctor had turned the full force of his gaze upon her and she was thankful to be seated, as she was certain her knees would have given way had she been standing. She held out her hand to greet him but, as he was clutching a briefcase and several folders, he only bowed slightly and murmured with the voice of an angel 'delighted to meet you, Mrs Mayhew' before Dr Gerandy swept him away to his office.

A full minute passed before she realised she was still holding out her hand.

,,,

He placed one arm round Ryan's shoulder and gently propelled the boy forwards to meet Mrs Mayhew.

"Ryan, I'd like you to meet Mrs Mayhew. We'd all be lost without her here."

Meredith giggled again and smiled at the boy before pushing a large bowl of candy towards him. "Go on, honey, take some."

Ryan looked up to see Carlisle nod, before reaching out and selecting a bright red lollypop. "Thank you," he said softly.

"I'm not actually working today, Meredith, I've just brought Ryan here along for a few tests. He's going to be staying with my family and me." He paused while Mrs Mayhew digested that little titbit.

She waited until Ryan was looking the other way before mouthing in a conspiratorial fashion, "Are you fostering him?" Carlisle winked and nodded, causing her heart to flutter excitedly. The look on her face said that she thought Dr Cullen an extremely generous man to open his home to so many waifs and strays and she planned on saying as much to anyone who would listen at tea break. Satisfied with a job well done, Carlisle led Ryan away to one of the examination rooms.

,,,

Ryan sat on the chair looking round the room, whilst Carlisle prepared a few unseen items in a tray. It made sense that if they were going to pretend he was a legitimate foster child, they would need to be seen to follow normal procedures. Carlisle turned to him.

"I've prepared some documents to make it look like you were under the care of another doctor in Portland. The ones today will just be updating information. Have you had any major medical problems before that you know of?"

Ryan shrugged. "I've been sick and stuff but I don't think it counts as major."

Carlisle smiled. "You never stayed in hospital or came to the emergency room?"

Ryan shook his head.

"Well, as I explained, today's just about making sure we're up to date with things. Now, come and stand over here."

Carlisle weighed and measured Ryan, noting that he was slightly less than average on both counts. He noted the boy's pulse rate whilst he was standing there, too, and jotted it onto the chart.

"Now, just pop your t-shirt off so that I can listen to your lungs."

Ryan pulled off the shirt and held it in his hands as Carlisle bent his head down. He paused and smiled up at Ryan. "Sorry if my ear is a little cold!" He pressed his head against Ryan's chest and instructed him when to breathe in and out. He repeated this in several places, noting as he did that there were several more ancient bruise marks across the boy's back.

"You can put your shirt back on now," he said. "Your chest sounds perfectly clear." He returned to the tray and prepared a small syringe. "I just need to collect a small sample of your blood now for routine screening tests."

Ryan looked rather apprehensive as he watched Carlisle open a sterile swab and run it across the crook of his elbow. Carlisle smiled gently; Ryan was no different than any other child when it came to blood tests.

"You might feel a tiny scratch as the needle goes in but I'll be as gentle as possible," he said. "You might prefer not to look at it."

He chuckled inwardly noting that Ryan's eyes stayed firmly glued to the end of the needle which was now making its way towards his skin. The needle paused a fraction of a millimetre from the surface and then entered the vein with lightning speed. The surprise on Ryan's face as he noted the deep claret coloured blood slowly filling the tube was an absolute picture. He hadn't felt a thing. Carlisle filled several tubes ready to send to the lab and was aware of Ryan studying his face.

He softly tapped the boy under the chin. "Did it hurt much?"

Ryan shook his head, still watching Carlisle carefully.

"Press hard on this." Carlisle placed a cotton swab at the point of entry and pressed Ryan's fingers on it as he withdrew the needle. "What are you thinking?"

Ryan looked around the room cautiously. "Are we allowed to talk here?" he whispered.

Carlisle understood what he was referring to. "Yes, it's perfectly safe, as long as we don't shout." He pointed to his ear. "I can hear if anyone comes close."

Ryan hesitated and a small flush of embarrassment crept up his face. He glanced at the tiny vials of blood.

"Could you… I mean if you had to…" he paused again, struggling to find the words. "What I mean is…I mean I don't mean to say it to be rude and you don't have to say if you don't want…"

Carlisle smiled and placed his fingers softly under the boy's chin. "Ryan, one of the things I admire most in you is your curiosity. I always firmly believe that one should never cease to discover new things until one's dying breath. Never be afraid to ask questions. Now, what do you wish to know about me?"

"Could you drink human blood?"

Carlisle had guessed the question would be something along these lines as soon as he spotted the boy studying the blood samples. He wanted to be honest but without causing alarm,

"Suppose I ask you a question first," he began. "You eat meat, don't you?" Ryan nodded. "Meat such as beef, chicken, pork, lamb and so on?" Another nod. "Well suppose someone asked you to eat a puppy."

Ryan's mouth fell open in horror. "No way would I eat a puppy!"

"Ah, now you _choose_ not to eat a puppy, because you would find it offensive to do so. But there's no biological reason why you couldn't eat one, is there?"

Ryan frowned. "I suppose not, but I'd have to be starving," he murmured.

Carlisle wondered if he realised why this analogy was being made. From the look on his face the boy was clearly becoming sidetracked about the issue of eating puppies.

"Ryan, what I'm trying to say is that it is perfectly possible to physically eat all sorts of things and remain healthy. However our morals and culture may mean that we choose not to partake of some things." Ryan's attention was back on him now. "Yes, my family and I _could_ live on human blood but _no_ we choose not to. We believe it's not right, you see."

Ryan was frowning thoughtfully and nibbling on a finger nail. Carlisle crouched down and looked up into the boy's face. "I promised you before that you would be safe with my family and me, and I mean it. You're part of the family now and we take care of each other. Do you understand that?"

"What if you were starving?" he whispered.

Carlisle sighed then his eyes twinkled. "Well I suppose if we were really, _really_ starving," he paused, "We'd have to find some puppies." He winked at Ryan who seemed oblivious to the poor attempt at humour. Fearful that the boy might begin asking if any of them had ever tasted human blood he moved back to the tray.

"Come on, let's get finished up here and then I'll take you for quick tour." He prepared a couple of routine vaccinations which were administered with proficiency and then labelled the samples for analysis. With a blur of movement which took a mere microsecond, Carlisle slid one of the vials into his coat pocket.

"Let me show you the x-ray machines," he said, steering Ryan out of the room and down a corridor. He felt the sample in his pocket and cradled it gently in his hand. As soon as he got home he meant to study Ryan's blood and put Jasper to the ultimate test.

* * *

Reviews may help give Jasper the strength to resist. (They will also make me very VERY happy!) Thank you :)


	12. Chapter 12

WOOOOOO! Eight reviews for the last chapter - that's my best ever! Thank you SO much to all you yummy reviewers. Carlisle says he will happily adopt each and every one of you if you so wish.

* * *

Carlisle listened carefully to ensure that no one was within at least a mile of the house before opening the little glass vial. He had warned them all of what he intended to do and they had all gone hunting in order to be away from any potential temptation. Naturally, of course, Ryan hadn't been party to this warning. Since it was a cloudy day, Esme had taken him off to the library as another means of spreading the word that he was living with the Cullens. He'd been quite taken with the animal book Jasper had given him and Esme was keen to develop his interests.

With the vial now open, Carlisle carefully scented the air. Nothing. He moved the bottle closer to his nose and scented again, lips slightly apart in order to maximise the impact. He shook his head, still unable to detect any trace of the usual tang of haemoglobin which still triggered a tiny flicker of thirst in him. It wasn't as though the blood smelled of water or some other nondescript substance, it was as if it didn't exist. He could clearly smell the glass of the bottle, and all the myriad scents of the room, but no blood. Solemnly he began to prepare his tests.

,,,

The car pulled smoothly into the parking lot and Esme switched off the engine. Ryan stared out the window at the library building.

"We'll get you registered and then you can have a look at the books," she said, smiling as they exited the vehicle.

Forks library was a bright, spacious building, laid out around a central glass-domed courtyard where readers could sit in comfort and read their books. A fountain was the centre piece of the courtyard and featured a bronze sculpture of the children from Peter Pan standing atop a mountain, down which trickled soothing streams of water to the pool below. Esme found the whole idea of an interior water feature rather lovely and was determined to incorporate one into her next design. She guided Ryan across to the desk and gave his details to the librarian who began processing a membership card for him. All the Cullen children possessed similar cards as it added to the authenticity of their high school persona.

"Have you thought about the kind of books you'd like to see?" asked Esme.

Ryan gave a slight shake of the head, gazing round in wonder at the thousands of books around him. All the Cullens were aware by now that Ryan tended to retreat into non-verbal communication whenever he felt out of his depth and were becoming quite adept at phrasing their questions in such a way that he couldn't simply respond with a gesture.

"Tell me some of the books you've read before. What was your favourite?"

Ryan frowned in thought. "I had a book with places in it," he began. "It told you how to say hello in all different languages."

Esme beamed. "I know what you might like," she said, and led the way to the travel section.

,,,

Carlisle placed the slide under the powerful electron microscope on his desk. He'd analysed the blood sample every way he could think of but had so far found nothing which physiologically distinguished it from any other human blood. It had a pH of 7.41; perfectly normal, and the composition was proportionally as expected; erythrocytes, leukocytes, thrombocytes. The microscope hummed softly as Carlisle increased the magnification to 3000x. As the image appeared on the computer screen, Carlisle's interest was suddenly piqued. The red blood cells were covered in a membrane composed of three layers which in itself was nothing new. What had Carlisle increasing the magnification was the outer layer; the glycocalyx. Instead of the typical single 'railroad track' appearance he was expecting to see, it appeared to be doubled. Ryan's red blood cells had sheathed themselves in an extra protective layer. How extraordinary. Eagerly he began preparing the other slides in readiness for the return of his family.

,,,

Armed with a stack of books covering every continent, Esme and Ryan made their way to the reading area. They chose one of the large corner seats where Ryan perched, cross-legged next to Esme.

"Ryan, sweetheart, can I ask you something?"

Ryan nodded as he studied the glossy photographs of nomadic tribes people.

"Did you go to school much before?"

Ryan's eyes flickered sideways to glance at Esme. "I never went."

"You've never been to school? Ever?" Esme found it hard to hide her astonishment. "But you can read, and write."

Ryan watched her, not really knowing what to say.

"How did you learn then?" she asked. "You strike me as a very bright boy, Ryan. Someone must have taught you."

Ryan stared down at his book, chin resting on his hands. "My mom," he mumbled.

Esme's eyes widened and her breathing became barely noticeable. "Your mother?" She gently reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "Is your mother still back in Gresham?"

Ryan shrugged. He'd gone very still and hadn't turned a page for at least five minutes.

"Did you live with her?" she probed.

Ryan nodded.

"Until…until you came to the forest?" Esme had terrible images of a desperate mother back in Gresham, frantically wondering what had become of her son. She knew all too well the agony of losing a child.

Ryan shook his head. "She went away before then." His finger traced the outline of a desert sand dune as he hunched miserably next to Esme.

"When, Ryan? How long ago did she leave?"

There was a big sigh of sadness from the boy. "'bout a week before we… before I came here."

Esme ran her hand soothingly along his arm. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry." She noticed he was blinking rather rapidly as he shrugged disinterestedly, and decided it better not to push the subject further in a public place.

"How about we go check those books out and head on home, hm?" Ryan seemed to have shrunk before her very eyes and she felt quite dreadful for having caused him to feel such sorrow.

"Have you ever had hot chocolate with marsh mallows in it?" she asked, remembering one of the web pages she'd browsed.

Ryan gave a half smile but shook his head. Esme smiled sweetly at him with gentle eyes. "Then you can help me make it when we get home."

Ryan tagged along clutching his armful of books. Home. Right now that sounded an awfully nice word.

,,,

Carlisle sent out text messages informing the others that it was safe to return home. It was Jasper's response he was really interested in but had no intentions of singling him out from the others. He was fairly certain the young man would volunteer himself given half the chance. He listened as he heard the faint sounds of leaves rustling and dislodged stones which signalled their approach. As soon as they were within earshot he called them to convene around the dining table.

"I've run quite a few tests on Ryan's blood and it does appear to be sheathed in an extra protective layer." He described the physiological anomalies he had discovered and explained his theory that the outer layer somehow absorbed and took on the scent of whatever was closest to it.

"It's quite probable that all the tissues in Ryan's body carry the same genetic property which is why, scent-wise, he appears undetectable."

They listened with rapt attention to what Carlisle was telling them.

"I've prepared a few small experiments though, just to see how effective this biological shield really is." He looked at each of them. "I need a volunteer."

As Carlisle had predicted, Jasper was the first to his feet. "Tell me what you want me to do," he said earnestly. Carlisle smiled at his eagerness.

"First," he said with a slight chuckle, "you need to be blindfolded."

Alice was behind her mate in a split second and was carefully wrapping her silk scarf around Jasper's eyes.

"Wow," said Emmett, "Looks like it's not the first time _that's_ happened!" Fortunately he was unable to see Jasper's scowl beneath the scarf.

"What's the matter, Emmett?" laughed Edward. "Won't Rosalie let you play those kinds of ga…" There was a resounding crash as Rosalie's hand connected with the back of Edward's head.

Edward leapt to his feet, fists clenched. "Oh it's alright for _you _to make facetious remarks about everyone else, isn't it," he hissed, "But you just can't cope when given a taste of your own medicine."

Emmett had now moved to stand protectively by Rosalie, though he knew without a shadow of a doubt that his bronze-haired brother would never touch so much as a hair on her head no matter how much she might provoke him.

Carlisle wished fervently that Esme was there; she dealt with these kinds of ructions so much better than he did.

"Rosalie, apologise to Edward. I won't tolerate this family using violence against one another," he ordered.

Rosalie glowered at Edward, her black eyes a clear indicator of the rage she was feeling. Edward scowled back, still angry at her attack on him.

"Edward, son, please sit down." Carlisle knew that when these two were locked in dispute, the stalemate could last indefinitely.

,,,

He recalled the time, many years ago, when the two of them had fallen out over some pettiness or other. The bickering and one-upmanship continued until Rosalie used her razor-sharp fingernail to etch the word 'asshole' neatly across the top of Edward's piano, to which he retaliated by carefully painting the word 'bitch' on every item of clothing Rosalie possessed, using indelible ink. In blind fury, the two of them had stood facing each other on the stairs of the house they were residing in, both frozen like statues, neither one willing to make the first move.

No amount of cajoling from any of the Cullens, not even the torrent of peace poured on them by Jasper, had made any difference. The situation had continued for days with everyone else having to squeeze past them as they went to and fro. In the end Carlisle had had enough. He and Jasper tackled Edward to the floor before carting him off, yelling and squirming, deep into the wilderness whilst Emmett manoeuvred an equally irate Rosalie into their room.

It took three days of separation before either of them was calm enough to return to normal family life; Carlisle vowed never to let things go so far again.

,,,

"We're supposed to be ensuring the safety of a human child," he said firmly. "Do you think you can put aside your personal grievances for just a few moments?"

The reminder of Ryan's vulnerability caused both Edward and Rosalie to feel ashamed of their squabble and immediately they retook their places in silence. Carlisle nodded; glad that the situation hadn't escalated.

"Thank you," he said, kindly. He turned his attention back to Jasper, who had been patiently waiting with the blindfold on. "Jasper, I've prepared various slides with different substances on them. Quite simply I'd like to see if you can identify, by scent alone, what each slide contains."

With that, he removed the first slide from the case.

"Pine sap," announced Jasper, before Carlisle had put the slide anywhere near him. Everyone smiled.

"Very good, Jasper. Now, how about this one?"

Jasper's nostrils flared a little as Carlisle brought the slide closer to his nose. "All I can smell is glass," he said, shaking his head a little.

"Correct; that was indeed an empty slide."

Carlisle continued presenting the slides one at a time to Jasper, who named each and every one faultlessly: honey, rain water, a human hair (courtesy of an unwitting Meredith Mayhew), a splinter of wood the size of an eye-lash. None were a problem for the vampire. Then came the final slide. Carlisle focused on maintaining a calm façade so as not to alert Jasper to there being anything unusual.

Jasper scented and paused. Carlisle moved the slide a little closer, watching Jasper intently for the slightest hint of reaction. Jasper smiled. "It's the empty one again," he laughed. "You're trying to catch me out." The sudden wave of delight coming from Carlisle caused Jasper to remove the blindfold, revealing the glass slide on the table in front of him with the tell-tale blob of human blood in the centre. Jasper stared.

"Is that...?"

Carlisle nodded triumphantly. "Ryan's blood! And absolutely no hint of scent."

Edward frowned as he read Jasper's thoughts. _Really! What was it going to take to convince Jasper that he posed no threat to Ryan?_

"That's a dry sample, Carlisle," said Edward. "How about fresh?" His eyes flickered towards Jasper, and Carlisle understood immediately. He withdrew the glass vial from his pocket with the remains of the sample inside. Everyone experienced a sudden sense of dread emanating from Jasper as his hands curled into claws, nervously clutching the arms of the chair. Carlisle slowly removed the stopper and held out the vial, waving it a little to release any aroma. He watched Jasper who had frozen. Alice gently rubbed his shoulder.

"It's okay, Jasper," she trilled. "It really doesn't smell of anything at all." She stooped to kiss his cheek. "Honey, please start breathing. I swear you won't react. I would have seen it if you were going to." Jasper allowed the tiniest breath of air to enter his lungs, then another, and another. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Carlisle beamed delightedly. "Remarkable, isn't it? Completely unscented human blood." He replaced the stopper and looked around at them. "This puts our minds at rest that the boy will be physically safe from harm with us, no matter what." What he didn't voice out loud were his concerns about the nomads they ran into from time to time. The ones who did _not_ follow the same dietary restrictions as the Cullens. The ones who did _not_ need to scent blood before choosing to feed.

,,,

Esme had already ascertained by text that it was safe to bring Ryan home, and so she drove him back to the house. Conversation was non-existent in the car as Ryan sat staring out of the passenger window, clutching his newly acquired books on his lap. She didn't need Jasper's gift to sense that his mood had dipped considerably since his revelations about his mother, and she hoped that one of the others might distract him a little back at the house. She reversed the car into the garage and shut off the engine.

"Okay, sweetie, you go pop those books up to your room and then meet me in the kitchen." She smiled. "We have some hot chocolate to make." She didn't have the heart to insist he answered her verbally as he barely nodded before trudging up the steps, head bowed. As soon as he was gone she flew to Carlisle in the lounge.

"He has a mother," she whispered, "Back in Gresham."

Carlisle sat up instantly. "He mentioned her? What did he say?"

Esme related their conversation in the library as Carlisle drank in every detail. "And she just left him? He didn't mention the circumstances?"

Esme shook her head. "He was clearly quite upset thinking about her. Do you think we should push him for more details? I'd hate to make him more miserable but if it's fresh in his mind it might be better to get it out of him now rather than re-hash old wounds later."

Carlisle nodded. "He seems to be holed up in his room," he said, listening. "I'll go and talk to him."

Two figures breezed past him on their way to see Ryan. "Nuh uh, Carlisle," said Jasper, laughing softly. "We call first dibs."

Carlisle couldn't help but smile. Jasper's whole outlook on the situation had been completely turned around since he no longer saw himself as a threat to the boy's life. Discussing Ryan's past could wait a while, he thought, let them have their fun.

,,,

Emmett and Jasper knocked softly on the door to Ryan's room.

"Open up, bud, we know you're in there," called Emmett.

A small voice gave them permission to go in; the sadness in it causing Jasper and Emmett to look at each other in surprise. They entered the room solemnly.

"What's up, Ry?" asked Emmett, direct as ever.

"Nothing."

He was sitting cross-legged in the centre of his bed with one of the library books open in front of him and the little blue toy hidden behind his back. Jasper came and sat on the edge of the bed next to him. He ducked his head to look Ryan in the eye.

"You remember this is me you're talking to, right?"

"Yeah Ry, the walking emotional barometer over there can tell if you're happy, sad, angry, lusting…" Emmett was running through a variety of exaggerated facial expressions to illustrate his point causing a smile to creep onto Ryan's face.

Jasper held up his hand. "Enough, enough. Emmett, we get the picture!" He looked back at Ryan. "You don't have to pretend everything's okay if it's not. You're one of us now, so if your day's a piece of crap, it's alright to admit it." He laughed. "Course that doesn't mean you'll get any sympathy but…" The light hearted teasing was having an effect. Ryan's mood had lifted considerably.

"C'mon dude, enough with the studying." Emmett reached across and closed the book. "Me and Jazz wanna teach you a game." They stood up and indicated for Ryan to follow.

,,,

Out in the garden, Emmett explained the rules. "Okay, I'm gonna count to one hundred while Jasper hides you. Then I to come find you in the pathetically easy place Jasper chooses and then we swap over, see? The one who finds you fastest wins."

Ever since Alice's vision of hide and seek, Emmett had been puzzling over what she had seen. Carlisle's blindfold tests had been the final key to unlocking the puzzle. Hide and seek by themselves was always futile as it just turned into a simple tracking task. But trying to find someone with no scent? That would be a _real_ challenge. He looked at Ryan who appeared to be completely confused.

"What d'you mean you're going to hide me? Hide me where?"

Emmett grinned enthusiastically. "Not far." He paused thoughtfully. "Let's say, half a mile radius." He looked at Ryan. "Please? I promise you won't have to do anything, just stay really still and quiet."

Once again the puppy dog eyes won and Ryan nodded his assent.

Jasper got Ryan to climb onto his back. "Okay, I'm going to run really fast but don't be afraid; there's no way I will allow any harm to come to you, okay?"

Ryan's only reply was to wrap his arms even more tightly around Jasper's neck and bury his face into his shoulder. Emmett sat with his face hidden in his hands and began counting out loud: 1…2…3…

Jasper took off at his usual pace into the forest, weaving in and out the trees and bounding effortlessly across streams. Ryan kept his head well down but could feel the breeze whipping through his hair as they moved. Cautiously he peeked through hooded eyes before rapidly shutting them again. It was just a green blur whizzing past his face. There was hardly any sensation of moving over the ground, not like in a car or when he himself ran. He clung on and focused on the warm feel of Jasper's sweater pressed against his face and the secure rock solidness of his shoulders.

Mere seconds later, Jasper slowed to a jog before working his way through a narrow gap in some rocks. Carefully he removed Ryan from his back and studied the boy to check he was unharmed.

"You can open your eyes now, Ryan," he whispered, "But don't say anything, because Em will be listening."

Ryan opened his eyes cautiously and smiled at the realisation that he was back on solid ground. He nodded.

"Sit on that dry bit over there," continued Jasper, "and try really hard not to move too much." He smiled, certain Emmett was going to fail. "I won't be that far away so don't worry, you're still safe." He could hear Emmett still counting… _76…77…78_… "Be back soon!" Suddenly Ryan was alone as Jasper flew off to use the remaining seconds to ensure his scent was all over the place.

…_99…100!_Emmett launched himself into the trees trying to follow Jasper's scent. A few seconds in and he quickly realised that this wasn't the best strategy and began to think of places where Ryan was likely to be hidden. Time was ticking and he needed to be successful soon if he was going to make Jasper look bad. The area gradually became devoid of all animals and birds as Emmett leapt over fallen tree trunks, stuck his head into hollows and even stared up into the tree-tops,lthough he was fairly certain Jasper wouldn't risk Carlisle's wrath by leaving the boy in such a precarious spot. He heard an annoying chuckle following him.

"Just say when you want to give up, Emmett," teased Jasper, laughing softly as Emmett growled in frustration and sped up even more.

"There!" he yelled triumphantly causing Ryan to jump violently as the two vampires appeared out of nowhere in front of him. He didn't want to spoil their fun but he wasn't sure this was how playing a game was supposed to make him feel. "Four minutes and twenty-seven seconds," smiled Emmett. "Beat _that_, Jazz."

Jasper shrugged nonchalantly and vanished back to the house to commence counting.

"Come on Ryan," said Emmett, as he swung the boy onto his back and set off. Once more, Ryan clung on for dear life and hid his face. Emmett ran in a wide circle around the perimeter of their designated half mile radius before very quietly sneaking him in through the back of the house. He held his finger to his lips as a bemused Carlisle and Esme watched him creeping silently upstairs to Ryan's room. Shoulders shaking with silent laughter, he peered out the window at Jasper, kneeling on the lawn with his hands covering his eyes, slowly counting to one hundred. Just as silently he sped back out of the rear of the property to begin laying false trails everywhere.

"Ninety-nine, a hundred," called Jasper and bolted off into the forest. He figured Emmett would utilise the noisier places in case Ryan couldn't sit still, and headed in a direct line for the river. Emmett scaled a tall cedar tree and settled back to watch.

,,,

Esme and Carlisle looked at each other. "I'm not even going to begin to pretend to understand what all that was about," said Carlisle, shaking his head. He looked up towards the landing. "I suppose now might be the time to ask Ryan about his mother." Seconds later he was at the door, tapping softly. "May I come in?"

Ryan glanced towards the window and wondered whether he was supposed to keep quiet again, like Jasper had asked him. On the other hand he couldn't refuse to answer Carlisle. He padded across to the door and opened it. Carlisle smiled.

"I take it Emmett and Jasper have finished with you?" he said.

Ryan looked down. "I think I'm supposed to be hiding in here from Jasper."

"Hiding?" Carlisle immediately thought the worst. Was Ryan suddenly afraid again?

"It's a game," continued Ryan much to Carlisle's relief.

He nodded. "Ah, I see. Well, do you have a few moments, I just wanted to talk to you about something Esme said."

Ryan had been expecting this; Carlisle was itching to get the full story on him, though Ryan really didn't see why it mattered. It wasn't like anything could be changed. He moved to sit back on the bed with his books. Carlisle turned one of them round to look at the cover.

"The Amazon. Do you know experts once found a tree in the Amazon on which lived forty-three different species of ant? Hard to imagine isn't it?"

Ryan pondered that fact. He didn't even know _that_ many kinds of ants existed, let alone on one tree. He stored the fact away in his mind, liking anything which involved numbers.

"Ryan, Esme told me about your mother, that she left you shortly before you came to us." There was no point beating around the bush; the boy was bound to find the topic upsetting no matter which way he approached it. "Do you know where she went?"

Ryan shook his head. It was true, he had no idea what had happened to her. She just didn't come back to the house like she usually did. All he knew was that her disappearance had been the catalyst for Carl's blind fury.

Carlisle pressed him further. "Did she tell you she was leaving?"

Again he shook his head, drawing his knees up to his chin.

"Had she ever done that before, Ryan? Gone away for a while I mean?"

Ryan couldn't ever remember a day when his mom hadn't been there. He shook his head once more and rocked ever so slightly. "I'm not lying," he ventured. "She didn't say anything; she just…" he paused. "…never came back."

Carlisle wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and couldn't for the life of him fathom why a parent would ever willingly put a child through that. "Ryan," he said softly. "If you wanted, I could easily make some enquiries to discover your mother's whereabouts." He looked down at the boy who turned to look up with soulful brown eyes. "Would you like that?"

Ryan's mind whirred with possibilities. He desperately wanted to see his mom again, but doing so might mean having to go back, and if he went back, he was dead.

Carlisle studied his face, almost reading the worries etched into his features. "We wouldn't make you go back into danger, Ryan," he said. "If we did locate your mother it would be up to you as to what you choose to do with the information."

Ryan sighed and nodded. "Yes please."

Carlisle smiled. "All I need is her name and, if possible, the address you used to live at."

"Jennifer Jameson, it was at…"

Carlisle didn't need to hear the address. Jennifer Jameson; he knew that name very well. He knew _exactly_ where Ryan's mother was. He kept his face composed in a mask of serenity as he looked steadily at Ryan. "Well then, we'll see what we can do."

* * *

_Now where oh where has Valeska got to..? Thinks greedily...hmmm, I wonder if my review record will be broken..._


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you so much for the lovely reviews again (9! Woohoo!). It's wonderful reading your thoughts and answering any questions you have. Hopefully I replied to you all (sorry Lea, you had no reply box but thank you for your review too). Now, who's up for a little Valeskaliciousness? (Put your hand down, Edward, I was speaking to the readers).

* * *

Edward checked his appearance in the mirror for the tenth time and grinned at himself. It had been four months, three days and seven hours since he last saw Valeska. Not that he was counting, he thought nonchalantly before grinning again; not much! She'd been back in Russia for a while now, hunting across Sakha and on into the north-eastern most region of Chukotsky. Now she was coming back and was at that very moment speeding through central Canada on her way to their rendezvous point in the Glacier National Park of Montana. Stuffing a few more items into his backpack he turned and left his room, bounding down the stairs in one jump.

Emmett glanced up from the sofa where he was patiently helping Ryan get to grips with Mario Kart. Jasper had refused to speak to him since the hide and seek incident and Emmett was in desperate need of a new opponent for his many games. Consequently he had take Ryan under his wing and was helping him get to grips with the basics.

In all fairness Jasper had every right to be annoyed. He had quickly exhausted all the obvious hiding spots within the first three minutes of looking and had then begun painstakingly tracing paths up and down the entire half mile radius. After twenty minutes of this, he had begun to seriously worry that something had happened to Ryan and began to feverishly search for any trace of wild animal which might have strayed into their territory. It was only when Carlisle and Esme ran past on their way to hunt, that Jasper learned the truth; Ryan has happily watching television indoors where he had been since Emmett brought him in two hours ago. In fury he stormed to the house and tackled Emmett, who was by now helpless with laughter, to the floor, vowing never to speak to him again. A promise he appeared to be making good on.

"Счастливого пути брат!" chuckled Emmett as his brother disappeared out the door, the light glinting off his carefully sculpted bronze hair.

"What's that mean?" asked Ryan curiously.

"It's Russian for have a good trip. Brother," replied Emmett. "Edward is surprisingly fluent in Russian."

Ryan stared. "He can speak Russian? Has he been to Russia?"

Emmett waggled his eyebrows and leaned in conspiratorially. "He's not _been_ to Russia; he's more interested in what came _out_ of Russia." He grinned. "Edward's got a Russian girlfriend; that's where he's going; to meet her. She's coming for a few days to see him."

Ryan's mind boggled. "He's got a _girlfriend_?"

Emmett nodded, turning his attention back to the game. "I know, hard to believe, isn't it?"

Ryan shook his head. "No, I don't mean that, I mean… well… is she… you know?"

Emmett paused the game and looked at Ryan, a slow smile curling onto his face. "Ohhh, you mean, is she one of us or one of you?" He sniggered. "Valeska is one of us, dude. Edward met her years back and they've been kind of seeing each other ever since." He glanced at Ryan wondering how sexually aware he was. At school it seemed like all the other kids ever talked to each other about was sex; according to Edward it was all they ever thought about too, but Esme had revealed that Ryan had never actually been to school so maybe he was an exception. He decided not to take the subject any further; let Carlisle give the birds and the bees talk if he wanted to play dad.

,,,

Edward relished running really fast; it was one of the first things he had thrilled to after Carlisle changed him. His long, sinuous muscles propelled him in lengthy strides as he cut his way south-east towards Mt Rainier from where he intended to push to the north of the state and then follow the Canadian border east. He had purposely spent the last three days gorging on blood to sustain him for the trip and his whole being tingled with energy and anticipation. The only sounds were the soft patters of his feet as he sped onwards, barely touching the ground, and the steady swoosh of the air streaming past his face. All wildlife either scattered or fell into panic stricken silence as he approached. Not that he was considering hunting; he had a much more important prey in mind. Distant settlements flashed by as he pushed on relentlessly, allowing his thoughts to drift to the object of his desire.

He'd been amazed at Esme's beauty when Carlisle changed her, but Valeska was altogether different. When she'd appeared in front of him, he'd been completely and utterly lost for words. Her smooth, silky hair hung in platinum swathes about her shoulders, the delicate curls at the ends suggesting a hint of wildness. Her skin, luminescent alabaster, created the perfect setting for ominous garnet eyes. She'd smiled as she circled him, predator toying with prey, her sensual lips revealing the glinting dangers within. His feelings had become a seething mass of awkwardness and pride and he chuckled at the memory of his attempts at a formal introduction. Fortunately for him, Valeska was a little more socially adept and her mild teasing had allowed him to drop his guard and relax in her presence.

Running with her had stirred up many emotions in him. Most of all it reminded him of better times with Carlisle; occasions when his creator had challenged him to push his newfound abilities to the limit. Punching through thick ice on frozen lakes in a wild game of chase; scaling a sheer rocky cliff as easily as climbing the stairs; using his bare hands to crumble boulders and letting the shattered rock trickle through his fingers like an infant playing with sand. His shame had risen exponentially when he recalled more and more that Carlisle wasn't all about restrictions and impositions but about nurturing and protection. One of the first things he had insisted Edward learn was how to create a fire using friction, no matter what the weather, in order that he would always have a means of destroying an attacking vampire. He had painstakingly helped him hone his mannerisms until he could once more blend easily with the general public but above all, and this really twisted like a knife in Edward's heart, he had never condemned Edward, never once rejected him, no matter how many tantrums he had come home to. Even now, as he sped on towards the Canadian border and then eastwards, Edward felt overwhelmed by the compassion of the man whose capacity to forgive seemed limitless.

,,,

School was due to restart in a week's time and Esme and Carlisle had already been to see Mr Greene the principal, with the paperwork for Ryan. Ryan had been quite frightened on seeing the size of the building and it was somewhat fortuitous that they had brought Jasper along as he was needed several times to quell the feelings of panic which were threatening to escalate. Mr Greene had welcomed them into his office, looking carefully at Ryan. He was well aware that all the Cullen children were adopted and had assumed that they had partly been chosen for their physical resemblance to Dr and Mrs Cullen, in order to appear more as a natural family. This boy looked quite the exception to that rule though. He had to admit he'd initially been worried about the prospect of so many adopted children arriving at once, for prior experience had taught him that such students were rarely the most settled or well-behaved, but the Cullens had quickly proven that theory wrong. They all maintained a perfect 4.0 grade average and, although a tad reluctant to participate in extra-curricular pursuits, were all immaculately behaved.

"So Ryan, you've never actually attended public school before?" he'd asked, smiling. Ryan had studied the floor and shook his head.

"He's very bright though," soothed Esme, gazing at Mr Greene with wide eyes. "He's been home-schooled quite well and of course my husband and I will do everything we can to help make up for any shortfalls in his knowledge."

Mr Greene tore his eyes away from Mrs Cullen, hoping that the doctor wouldn't think he was making any kind of advances towards his wife, from the way he couldn't seem to prevent himself from staring.

"Well we will need to administer one or two assessment tests, just to see where Ryan's abilities lie and then we can see about devising a program of study and support for him."

Carlisle turned on the charm. "We are quite willing to cover the added expense of any extra help Ryan might require," he said. "Your fine school has done such wonders with our other children; we are most grateful."

Mr Greene couldn't help feeling that it was as if he had come to be interviewed by them and found himself just nodding dumbly. Sitting in the hallway outside, Jasper chuckled to himself at the easy way in which Carlisle and Esme manipulated the man, like two cats lazily patting a confused spider, which tries repeatedly to scuttle into some dark secluded corner, unaware its fate is already sealed.

Ryan was given a couple of basic numeracy and literacy assessments as well as a non-verbal IQ test on which he scored highly. It was concluded that indeed he was very bright and had the potential to do well but unfortunately had huge gaps in his knowledge compared to his peers. It was felt that for the moment he would be best put into a small group situation until he caught up, whilst also attending some mainstream classes in order to help him socialise. While the Cullens completed some more paperwork, Jasper was permitted to take Ryan on a quick tour of the school, to familiarise the boy with the layout.

"This will probably be where most of your classes will take place," said Jasper, indicating a small building to one side of the main block. Together they peered through the windows. The room was furnished with several clusters of tables and was decorated with brightly coloured displays of students' work. There were computers along one wall and reference books on shelves. It looked quite inviting but Ryan's stomach still lurched at the sight of it.

"How many other students will be in there?" he asked.

Jasper shrugged. "Not many I don't suppose. The idea is that you can pretty much work to an individual programme of study with support from the teacher. Don't worry; it's really not so bad once you get the feel of it. And you'll see all of us at lunch and you might even get to be in some of Alice or Edward's classes." He added a few waves of calm to compliment his words and felt Ryan relax a little though the boy still frowned.

"Come and see the lunch hall." He led the way across the paved courtyard to the larger building and pointed to a long row of windows. "You can sit at our table if you like." He chuckled. "No one else does."

"Why?"

Jasper looked at him. "Well, you don't have to of course. I just thought…"

Ryan shook his head. "No, I mean why doesn't anyone else sit at your table?"

Jasper thought rapidly. How to explain the human instinct for survival? That would imply that the Cullens were a threat to people and Carlisle wouldn't want Ryan knowing that much about them. What to say?

"We just, kind of, stick to ourselves. The less we mix with people the more chance we have of being undiscovered." He looked at Ryan. "I suppose you know that you can't tell anyone anything at all about us, right?"

Ryan nodded and looked across at the lunch hall again. "Jasper," he began, "why do you all go to the lunch hall? Carlisle said you don't eat ordinary food at all."

Jasper smiled. Damn is this kid wasn't smart. "It would look odd if we appeared to skip lunch every day," he said. "All part of the act; we have to seem like everyone else."

Ryan thought about this. "Don't they notice that you're not eating stuff anyway?"

Jasper shook his head. "It's surprisingly easy to give the illusion that you're eating. Moving food around, breaking bits off, pretending to chew and so forth. Of course it helps that Edward can eavesdrop on everyone's thoughts, just in case someone starts to get curious."

"Why do you do it? Why do you bother to come to school at all? I mean, it's not like you're actually the right age or anything. Wouldn't it be easier just to stay home?"

Privately Jasper agreed. Life would be one hell of a lot easier if they didn't have to go through this High School crap every few years. And it never seemed to get easier for him. Always the overwhelming scent of human blood; the steady sloosh sloosh sloosh of valves opening and closing; cardiac muscles contracting and relaxing rhythmically; and the burn, the ever present burn deep in his throat of a thirst which was never completely sated for long no matter how many animals he fed on. He hated knowing that the others were all too aware of his struggle. He hated that Edward was always listening for signs that his thoughts were straying to dark temptations. He hated that Alice, faithful loving Alice, constantly checked her visions to ensure her mate made it through another day. He hated being weak. Jasper sighed. He understood Carlisle's reason for their story of course. It would be hard to explain such a large houseful of young adults if they neither worked nor attended school. All the same, it would be nice just to _be_ for once instead of going through their daily charade.

"If we just stayed home then people would wonder what we did all day and that would make us more of a focus for their attention than ever." He smiled. "School's not so bad; you'll like it, honestly."

,,,

Shale and stones showered away beneath Edward's feet as he slithered at high speed down the sheer east face of Mount Gould. Sitting at the edge of the glacier below, sun glinting magnificently from her angelic features was Valeska. Edward's pants suddenly felt two sizes too small.

,,,

Emmett tried not to let the disappointment show on his face as Ryan once more steered his kart off the track using up his final life. Ryan held out the controller to Emmett apologetically.

Carlisle, who was watching, smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry, Ryan, you're one up on me; I've never even attempted to play." He looked at Emmett who was about to re-start the game. "Maybe Ryan would enjoy something a little less complex to start with. Don't you have any of your older games around still? What about that little DS thing you had?"

Emmett wrinkled his nose. "That was boring and we hardly have any games for it." He caught the look on Carlisle's face and relented. "Fine! Wait there Ry." He sped off to find the game console.

"I think you'll like this better," said Carlisle. "I'm pretty sure some of the game packs were just puzzles; number and word challenges, things of that nature."

Ryan thought that sounded a little more manageable. Much as he wanted to please Emmett he really couldn't fathom the racing game. There were so many complications; power-ups, coins, superpowers; it was hard enough just manipulating the controls to stay on the track. He just wasn't smart enough to understand things like that; in fact there probably wasn't much at all that he was good for. He sat despondently awaiting the new game Carlisle had sent Emmett for, hoping they would soon give up.

,,,

Valeska purred as she reached out one slim hand and grasped Edward's jaw roughly before crushing her ruby mouth to his. Her cool tongue thrust between his lips and he licked at the intoxicating sweetness of her venom mingling with his own. Fisting a handful of her hair he pulled her tighter to him as he sucked and nipped her lips before working his way down to her delightful throat. Valeska tilted her head back grabbing roughly at his shirt, heedless of the buttons scattering as she pulled him to the ground.

Edward ran his hand under her silken blouse and let his fingertips dust across a hardened nipple before cupping the breast firmly. With a slight movement of his hand, the silk was shredded and with a feral snarl he lowered himself to lick the darkened areola before kissing the gentle under curve. Valeska ran her fingers through his hair, watching his movements with hooded eyes darkened by lust.

Edward once more turned his attentions to her neck as she reached roughly for his belt which was rapidly removed. With deft fingers she opened the buttons on the front of his pants and slid her hand in to free his swollen cock. Grasping his shaft firmly, she moved her hand deftly towards the tip and ran her thumb across the venom there. A slow growl emanated from him as he felt her touch and with needy movements he swiftly lifted the hem of her skirt to caress the swelling he felt between her legs.

Her wetness excited him further and he watched her face as he gently slid two fingers inside allowing her to adjust around them before moving them slowly in and out. Valeska moaned as she drew her knees up and began to rock against his hand, her pleasure mounting with the firm caresses of his thumb.

At her command he withdrew his fingers and allowed himself to tease her entrance just a little before pushing himself firmly into her welcoming warmth. Valeska relaxed as her body adjusted to his size and he began to deepen his thrusts, delighting in the waves of pleasure which now threatened to engulf him. Valeska tipped her head back and uttered moans of ecstasy as her slickened walls began to pulse around him. She arched her back and Edward felt the familiar tingling spread through his groin as he increased the tempo of his movements before shuddering in the delicious moment of release.

Breathing in the heavy musky scent of her sex, Edward allowed his head to rest near her shoulder as she ran her fingers through his wildly disarrayed hair.

"Hello, Edward."

,,,

Emmett soon returned with the little Nintendo DS and a box of games for it.

"Haven't played it in a while so it might need charging," he said, plugging it in. He opened the box of games and scattered several of them on the sofa. "Brain Training, More Brain Training, Sudoku, boring…" He recited as Carlisle chuckled.

"Your idea of boring might well be exactly what other people enjoy, Emmett," said Carlisle, selecting the More Brain Training pack. "I think you might enjoy this one Ryan." He inserted it into the machine and carefully deleted all previous records before entering Ryan's name as a new player.

"Here." He proffered a stylus to Ryan and showed him how to run through the instructions for the first activity. The countdown timer began and Ryan started scribbling furiously on the screen. As the game ended a slow smile spread across his face as the funny little man on the screen declared how brilliantly he had done, and his score appeared in first place in the rankings.

"Good, right?" said Carlisle encouragingly as Ryan looked at the next activity. Emmett rolled his eyes and went back to the Mario game. He was pretty certain Ryan would soon tire of all the intellectual stuff and want to play a real game again. And when he did, Emmett would be there to welcome him back.

,,,

Edward pulled on a sweater, stuffing yet another torn shirt into his backpack, mindful of Valeska's eyes watching his every move. After their first few meetings he had learned to bring along several changes of clothing; Valeska liked to play rough.

"What?" he asked laughingly.

"Ничто, моя любимая," she replied, eyes still studying the way Edward's sweater perfectly outlined every muscle of his physique.

Edward chuckled. "You can't say it's nothing and then carry on staring at me like that," he said. He stood up and folded his arms across his chest, allowing the tip of his tongue to moisten his lower lip as he looked at her. "Want something?"

Valeska appeared behind him in an instant and he felt her cool breath as she whispered in his ear. "I want _everything_; this…this…this…" She illustrated her requests with nips at his ear lobe and a kiss to his neck followed by warm exploratory fingers sliding inside his jeans. Edward gave a tiny involuntary jolt at her touch before pulling her round into his arms and probing her mouth with his tongue.

At least this time the sweater survived.

They had been revelling in each other's presence for several days and Valeska was now keen to accompany him back to the rest of his coven for a day or so. She had met them all on several occasions before and, although she had no intentions of ever joining them or even attempting their lifestyle, she had the greatest respect for Carlisle, finding him to be that rarest of vampires; a man of enormous compassion.

Edward refastened the front of his pants and sat down on a rock. "We've got a little complication at home right now," he began. Valeska sat close behind him and massaged his shoulders with her slender fingers.

"What complication?" she asked.

Edward began to explain.

* * *

What do you mean there wasn't enough sex? Hmm, well keep the reviews coming in and maybe Valeska will destroy a little more of Edward's clothing ;)


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you for your kind comments! They are very much appreciated as always :)

* * *

Ryan sprinted through the forest as hard as he could; mindless of the searing pain as his shins were hit by unseen rocks time and again. He could hear the distant thuds of his pursuer and his heart hammered fiercely against his ribs as adrenalin drove him on. His breathing was rough and ragged as he fought to continue; scrambling up steep muddy slopes and crashing through the undergrowth. His feet felt like lead and he was struggling more and more to grip the slippery ground. The harder he tried, the slower he seemed to go. He considered yelling to one of the Cullens; they had super hearing didn't they? But then again, he was supposed to keep their secrets; what if he gave them away?

To his surprise he suddenly found himself leaving the forest which backed onto a quiet part of town. Glancing fearfully behind him, he noted with some relief that the footsteps could no longer be heard, and, taking a chance, he sped across the exposed street to the building opposite. If he could just make it inside, he could surely find somewhere to hide. His hand reached out and, opening the door, he stepped inside.

A sadistic chuckle right behind him froze his heart as he smelled the familiar beer laden breath which always promised rage and pain. Turning his head, the sight of Carl caused an involuntary cry to slip through his lips. Carl laughed in disgust.

"Get in then," he ordered, to Ryan's confusion. Turning away from Carl he looked into the building and saw that he wasn't at the entrance to a building at all; he was standing in front of a closet. Before he could think any further a rough hand grabbed the back of his neck and pushed him in.

"When you're ready for a beating you can ask to come out."

As the door began to close and the darkness engulfed him, Ryan realised the closet was much smaller than it first seemed. His face was completely pressed against the wood, his arms pinned at his sides. His lungs constricted, there wasn't room to breathe…trapped…suffocating…tighter...tighter…

Ryan screamed and thrashed trying to escape, the air hot and stifling.

"Shhh, shhh, it's alright," soothed Rosalie, gently untangling the sheets from his face. Ryan gasped and blinked at the sudden light, taking grateful gulps of cool, safe air. Rosalie sat on the edge of the bed and pressed the back of her cool hand against his damp brow. Large watery eyes stared back at her.

"Bad dream?" The boy was obviously terrified still; lingering vestiges of his nightmare still hovering around the edges of reality as his fearful eyes flickered round the room before returning to her face.

"Want to talk about it?"

Ryan shook his head. No, he most certainly did not want anyone else knowing how weak and pathetic he really was. How he was only useful as a punch bag. How no one in their right mind would want to spend time with him. How…

Tears of tiredness and frustration overwhelmed him and he covered his face in shame as they spilled unbidden down his cheeks.

"Oh, Ryan." Rosalie pulled the boy up against her and wrapped her arms around him protectively, as if to shield him from the terrors of his mind.

"Don't!" He whispered hoarsely and she could feel him trying to push himself out of her embrace. As soon as she let him go, he curled into a tiny ball, pulling the pillow over his head as if to hide. Rosalie gazed down at the tiny bundle huddled next to her. Gently she reached out with one hand and placed it softly on his back. When he didn't reject her touch, she began to rub slow, soothing circles on his back. Distant memories of a tiny baby with the cutest dimples flashed into her mind and the soft lilting melody of a familiar lullaby slipped from her lips.

Gradually his breathing began to slow and deepen and she felt the tension leave his body. With a touch as light as a feather she lifted the pillow and placed it carefully next to the sleeping boy. As she watched him sleep she pondered the cries which had alerted her to his distress. Who had he been pleading with? Rosalie's eyes darkened slightly, wondering if it was purely a nightmare or more a memory.

,,,

"You're keeping a _human_?" Valeska's voice went up several octaves with incredulity. Edward never ceased to astound her with the stories of his coven. Feeding on animals; attending High School; Carlisle up to his elbows in blood in order to _save_ human lives; and now this: They were allowing a human to be part of their coven. The mind boggled.

Edward chuckled. "You make it sound like he's a pet or a prisoner or something. It's actually not as big a deal as you might think. In fact it might even help our human cover story because now we have the real deal; makes us even less suspicious."

He studied Valeska as she gazed at the frozen wilds around them, deep in thought.

"Is the child not fearful?"

Edward shook his head. "Apart from the initial encounter, he's taken it all remarkably well." He chuckled. "I'm fairly certain he believes us to be extra-terrestrial beings of some sort."

Valeska raised her eyebrows. "I suppose it is a more likely theory from a human standpoint," she mused, and then smiled at Edward. "Am I to refer to you as E.T. or Spock?"

Edward rolled his eyes and then looked serious. "He's really observant, I mean really, _really_ observant. You wouldn't believe some of the details about us he's picked up on." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Your eyes, for example. He's going to notice that right away."

"What do you suggest I tell him?"

Edward frowned. "Carlisle's going to want to know you're coming anyway. Let _him_ decide what story to tell."

,,,

Rosalie mentioned Ryan's nightmare to Carlisle when he returned.

"Do you suppose he was dreaming of the person who caused those bruises?" she asked.

Carlisle pondered this. "Quite likely. I don't think the boy has had the most ideal of starts in life. It saddens me greatly to think that one of the reasons he has been so accepting of us is that we are a better alternative to what he has previously known. Can you imagine? Living with a coven of vampires being preferable to your own human family!"

Rosalie glowered as she thought about this. For all that she bickered with her family at times, and could be phenomenally moody when things didn't go as she planned, Rosalie had a very strong sense of justice. Emmett and the others had numerous times had to dissuade her from intervening on behalf of a bullied victim at school. It wasn't that she particularly cared for the victims, it was just she loathed to see an aggressor getting away with it. If she knew what Ryan had suffered, the family would be hard pushed to prevent her delivering swift retribution.

,,,

Carlisle watched the subdued boy nibbling on his toast and sipping at the mug of hot tea.

Ryan had felt mortified when he remembered the night before. Rosalie, beautiful stunning Rosalie had seen him crying like a baby, all rumpled and staring round the room like an idiot.

The watching vampire noticed a faint flush of embarrassment creep up the boy's face and wondered what he was thinking about.

Ryan forced down another morsel of toast and replayed the nightmare in his head. He was never going to be free from Carl, it seemed, nor his ability to make him feel helpless, powerless to do anything other than accept what was coming to him. His mind remembered the closet and even here in this bright airy kitchen he felt the stifling threat of claustrophobia pressing down on him.

Carlisle detected the increase in Ryan's pulse rate accompanied by slightly shallower breaths. Whatever Ryan was thinking about was clearly unpleasant. He decided he would intervene if the boy became any more distressed.

Ryan loathed confined spaces. The panic, which quickly overwhelmed him when he couldn't move his limbs freely. The feeling of the air around his face becoming warm and stuffy as his frightened lungs used up the oxygen. Carl regularly delighted in pushing his terror to the limit. Pinning him down with a pillow crushing his face; pushing him into the packing crate, all bunched up unable to even stretch his legs. And always, always the hideous thought that this might be the time Carl decided _not_ to let him live; that he wouldn't be pulled free, choking and gasping at the last second, to face the question: Do you want me to beat you or do you want to go back? And Ryan would ashamedly ask to be beaten knowing that anything was better than the darkness, the suffocating airless darkness.

He jumped violently as Carlisle placed a cool hand on his arm and looked up into a pair of concerned golden eyes.

"Not hungry this morning?" Asked Carlisle softly, indicating the half eaten toast.

"I'm…I'm sorry," began Ryan, immediately picking up the remains to continue eating.

Carlisle stayed his hand. "Don't force it down if you don't want it," he smiled. "You can always have a snack later if your appetite returns." He looked out of the window. "It's going to be quite nice out today; overcast but warm. I wondered if you cared to come for a walk with me, perhaps get a little fresh air."

Ryan gave a small smile and nodded his head. Fresh air did sound very welcome indeed.

,,,

Most of the others were in the lounge when Carlisle asked if anyone wanted to come along. Alice and Jasper both agreed until Jasper saw that Emmett was also going.

"Actually I'm going to stay here and read, Alice," he said, with a slight glare at Emmett. He still hadn't forgiven him for the panic he'd felt thinking something bad had happened to Ryan during the hide and seek fiasco.

Alice frowned. "This is ridiculous," she announced. "You two are spoiling my visions. All I'm getting is bad moods and silences." She stood pouting, arms folded; looking even tinier than usual between the two men.

"You don't understand, Alice. He _knows_ how bad I feel about putting Ryan at any risk and he deliberately played on it. It's not funny."

"Dude it was _totally_ funny," grinned Emmett. "Your face was a picture, and of _course_ I wouldn't have left Ryan in any danger. What do you think I am?"

Carlisle interceded before Jasper could voice the answer that was clearly flashing through his mind.

"You both need to settle your differences." He lowered his voice so that Ryan couldn't hear. "You know it compromises our safety if we aren't a united group. Should we ever become threatened, I need to know that you will be willing to do whatever I ask and cooperate with whomever I choose."

There was a mutinous silence; neither vampire willing to be the first to back down.

A small voice broke the silence. "I don't want to cause any problems; I just want everyone to get along like you did before." Ryan looked nervously at Emmett. "Can't we just say sorry to Jasper?"

Emmett suddenly felt a flood of guilt sweeping over him and he rubbed his enormous hand roughly through his hair.

"Aww Ry, you don't have to say sorry to anyone. I'm the one who did it." He looked at Jasper who was sheepishly realising he was making rather a mountain out of a mole hill.

"I'm sorry, Jazz, it was a pretty stupid trick to pull. Seriously though, I didn't do it to scare you. I just figured it'd be funny if you couldn't beat me."

A smile crept across Jasper's face. "I guess you got me pretty good. And yeah, I know you just did it for fun." He held out his hand. "Truce?"

Emmett grabbed it and pumped his arm up and down a couple of times. "Truce!"

Carlisle worked very hard at not laughing out loud at the hilarity of it all. This tiny, fragile human had just taken on two vampires most successfully. It was amazing how strong an impact the child had already had on this family.

Alice reached up on her toes and kissed Jasper softly on the cheek before linking her arm through his.

"Perfect, now I can see the walk will be most enjoyable." She beamed before turning to Ryan. "You'll need a raincoat; there's going to be a brief shower at 11.37am."

Ryan thought this was an excessively precise weather forecast but went to his room to get the coat anyway. He was glad the two brothers were talking again; the last thing he wanted was to be the cause of any friction.

,,,

The four vampires plus suitably wrapped up human, crossed the lawn at the rear of the property and headed into the forest. Emmett wondered if they were actually going to proceed at this snail's pace for the entire walk.

"How 'bout Ry goes piggy back again?" He asked. "We can show him some way cooler stuff that way."

Carlisle looked down at Ryan whose expression clearly showed he was not at all keen on the idea.

"You didn't like being carried." Carlisle's words were a statement rather than a question. Ryan shook his head.

"It was all blurry," he mumbled. "I couldn't see where we were going."

Carlisle smiled in understanding.

"It doesn't have to be blurry," he said. "After all, that would defeat the purpose of travelling that way in order to show you the wonders of the forest."

Ryan glanced up into the face of kindness and encouragement. In truth, knowing he had been travelling at such a phenomenal speed was in itself quite exhilarating, but to actually _see_ that he was travelling at that rate; that would be something quite awesome.

"It would be pretty cool to move a bit like you guys," he said hesitantly. "But only if you don't mind."

Carlisle chuckled softly. He would no more notice the weight of the child than he did the shirt on his back.

"No I don't mind in the least," he said, and crouched down a little so that Ryan could climb onto his back. "Wrap your arms around my neck," he instructed. "It's impossible for you to have any effect on me so hold on as tight as you wish."

Ryan did as Carlisle instructed; putting his trust totally in the being who was proving to be his saviour. Carlisle set off at what he considered a steady jogging pace; although an Olympic standard sprinter would have been hard pushed to keep up.

"Are you okay?" asked Carlisle.

Ryan was just able to stop grinning long enough to answer him.

"This is so cool!"

,,,

They worked their way due east of Forks, moving steadily into the more dense parts of the forest. Carlisle had thought to bring along a pair of high powered binoculars for Ryan and they paused now and then to study some of the wildlife. Ryan's face when he viewed a large elk ambling through the trees some five hundred yards away was an absolute picture.

Carlisle worked his way up a steep slope to where the trees thinned on the brow of a hill, affording a spectacular view across the Olympic National Park.

"Are you ready for a snack?" he asked. "You must be hungry by now."

With the constant fresh air and all the new things he had seen, Ryan's appetite had indeed returned and so they made their way to a rocky patch where Ryan could sit and eat a while.

"Where've the others gone?" he asked. When they set out, Jasper, Alice and Emmett had been with them but none were to be seen at the moment.

"Here!" beamed Emmett emerging from the trees further on, followed by Jasper and a giggling Alice.

The trio had been sprinting back and forth around the route taken by Carlisle though Ryan had never been aware of their presence.

"Time for the human to eat," trilled Alice, opening the knapsack she was carrying. She withdrew several packets of sandwiches, a flask of hot tomato soup, a bag of potato chips and some tiny cubes of cheese which Esme had put in a little tub.

"Thank you," said Ryan hungrily, and began tucking into the sandwiches in between sips of the tasty soup.

Jasper and Emmett moved further away so that they could continue cavorting around together. Alice flitted to a nearby tree to supervise. Perhaps supervise is the wrong word. Alice was up the tree specifically to aid Jasper. If she foresaw Emmett making an exceptionally good attack, she would rapidly launch a pinecone at his head to distract him momentarily, allowing Jasper to regain the upper hand. So, Alice flitted to a nearby tree to help cheat.

As Ryan's hunger abated his curiosity returned.

"Do other animals know you're dangerous? You know, like if a lion or something comes along, all the zebras start running away because they know."

Carlisle smiled. "Yes, most creatures sense that we are predators. Our scent generally gives us away."

Ryan tried to surreptitiously breathe in Carlisle's scent but couldn't detect anything nasty. If anything the air around him smelled fresh and clean, and ever so slightly sweet like the after trace of a lightly scented candle. Carlisle smiled to himself as he heard the altered pattern of Ryan's breathing.

"Human's don't actually use their sense of smell very well," he explained. "You won't be as alert to it as an animal would be."

Ryan nodded thoughtfully and dipped his hand into the bag of tomato flavoured chips.

"Now my turn to ask a question," said Carlisle craftily.

Ryan glanced briefly at him but didn't say anything.

"Tell me about the little blue toy. Does it have a name?"

Ryan felt his stomach lurch at the unexpected question as his mind made the horrible connections: toy…home…pain…

"Blue," he whispered. "I just call it Blue."

"Appropriate," said Carlisle softly, wanting to keep things fairly relaxed. He knew Ryan was still very guarded about his past but he needed to push him to open up just a little. He had thought the toy would have been a fairly neutral subject, but clearly it held quite strong emotional ties for him.

"Who gave it to you?"

Suddenly Ryan didn't feel like eating anymore. "My mom."

Carlisle placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Tell me about your mother."

"That's three things," retorted Ryan swiftly. "You said we were taking turns."

_Nicely dodged!_ thought Carlisle. "You're quite right," he said. "Your turn to ask something."

Ryan felt a sense of relief and wondered what he could ask that would take longest for Carlisle to answer.

"Why do your eyes change?"

"Change?"

"Yes, mostly they're like yours are now; sort of a golden colour. But the other day Emmett's were really dark, almost like black. Is that supposed to happen?"

Carlisle nodded. "If we get too hungry our eyes begin to darken. They can become completely black if we go a long time without feeding. They can also be a completely different colour."

Edward had texted that morning to explain that he and Valeska were on their way as she wished to renew her acquaintance with everyone before heading north again. Now seemed as good a time as any to broach the subject of her red eyes.

Ryan seemed to have perked up considerably. "What other colours do they go?"

"Sometimes they can be burgundy," explained Carlisle casually.

"Why do they go that colour?"

Carlisle grinned. "That makes four questions, Ryan. I believe it's my turn again."

Ryan opened his mouth to protest but then changed his mind. He couldn't fault Carlisle's logic; after all, he was the one who had brought up the issue of taking turns.

Carlisle brought up the subject of Ryan's mom again. "So what was she like?"

Ryan sighed. "She's nice I guess. I mean we didn't do a whole lot together but…"

"But what?"

"She used to bring me books and pens and stuff like that. And sometimes we'd watch TV together if…" He'd nearly slipped up and mentioned Carl. He studied the half eaten bag of potato chips with his mouth clamped in a firm line.

It was the most personal information the boy have ever shared and although he had suddenly clammed up again, Carlisle felt that they'd made great strides anyway.

"I'm very proud of you Ryan. It's not easy talking about the things which matter most to us." He smiled. "And now I think it's your turn again."

Ryan frowned. If he asked another question then that would leave the way open for Carlisle to continue probing and he really didn't want to go any further down that line. Fortunately Carlisle guessed what was on his mind.

"Your question and then we'll start heading back," he said.

Ryan brightened immediately.

"Tell me about the eye colours," he said, resuming his former line of questioning. "Why do they go burgundy?"

Carlisle wanted to be as honest as he could but without frightening the boy.

"It depends what we feed on. Some blood makes our eyes burgundy, some makes them golden. Now speaking of different colour eyes, we will be having a visitor arriving later and she has burgundy coloured eyes. But don't make a big deal out of it because that might seem a little rude."

Ryan wondered about this visitor. "Who's coming?" he asked.

"It's a friend of Edward's," replied Carlisle. "A woman named Valeska."

"The Russian girlfriend?" he asked.

Emmett's guffaws ricocheted off every tree in the vicinity causing Carlisle to wonder just how much of Edward's personal affairs had been divulged to Ryan.

"Yes," he said slowly. "I suppose you could call her that."

Carlisle glanced at his watch; 11.35a.m.

"Better put this raincoat on," he said, handing the jacket to Ryan who obeyed. Just as he fastened the zip, the heavens opened and the rain pelted down. As they headed into the shelter of the trees, Ryan thought Alice was quite simply marvellous for being able to read the weather signs so accurately.

,,,

They were about two miles from the house when Alice suddenly appeared next to Carlisle.

"Edward and Valeska will arrive at the house in seven minutes," she announced, glancing at Ryan who had been walking by Carlisle's side. Carlisle nodded.

"Thank you, Alice. Perhaps if you would go on ahead and explain we are on our way."

Alice nodded and appeared to vanish. Ryan tried in vain to detect some movement; some wafting of leaves which might indicate the path she took but could see nothing.

"What actual speed do you all go at when you run your fastest?" he asked curiously.

"It depends. Some of us are faster than others, but I'd say we average two hundred miles an hour."

Ryan absorbed this, trying to imagine what two hundred miles an hour might look like if it was a car.

"What brought that question on?"

"Alice. I can't even see the leaves move."

Carlisle nodded.

"And how come she knows the exact time when things are going to happen? She was totally right about the rain; the exact minute."

Carlisle mused for a few moments.

"Alice has a bit of a gift too," he said at last. "Like Jasper detects emotions and Edward hears thoughts. Well, Alice can foresee certain events."

"Foresee! What like a fortune teller?"

Ryan was enthralled by this latest revelation. Carlisle couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Alice in a gypsy shawl huddled in a tent reading fortunes.

"Not exactly a fortune teller, no. Alice, well she sees what might happen after someone has made a decision. Edward and Valeska have decided to come to the house and so Alice sees when that event will occur. We decided to go for a walk and so Alice saw what would happen to us including the rain shower."

"Can she see what I'm having for dinner tonight?" Asked Ryan, stooping to dig out a rather interestingly shaped stone from the ground.

Carlisle smiled. "Not unless Esme has already decided what to cook."

They continued to walk companionably home, stopping now and then to answer one of the thousands of questions Ryan had about the plants and rocks and insects all around. As the house came into view, Ryan's thoughts turned towards the visitor; Valeska.

,,,

Valeska stood watching from Edward's open window. She could see Carlisle and the human approaching. With slightly parted lips she scented the air.

* * *

Control your girlfriend, Edward! Oh dear, I hope she's not feeling thirsty...

Please review :)


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you very much for the reviews again. Sorry for the delay in posting *hangs head in shame*

* * *

"Remarkable. Quite remarkable."

Valeska studied Ryan as he crossed the lawn with Carlisle and entered the Cullen house.

"I've never in all my years seen the like."

She turned to Edward.

"How much do you know of him?"

"Just his name and address," said Edward. "And one or two other little snippets he's let slip now and then."

He relayed the sketchy details to Valeska.

"I don't think he quite trusts us enough to share his full story." He chuckled. "That's why he fits in so well I suppose, being as tight-lipped as he is."

Edward studied Valeska, listening as her opinions flashed through her mind. He held out his hand.

"Come and meet him, but remember…" He was silenced by Valeska's finger upon his lips.

"I remember. No 'vampires' "She laughed softly and led him from the room.

,,,

Ryan watched as Valeska glided gracefully into the room, her unmistakably red eyes fixed upon his face. There was something very unsettling about her which he couldn't quite put his finger on and he found himself taking an involuntary step closer to Carlisle.

"Valeska, what a delight to see you again my dear," beamed Carlisle, stepping forward to hug the woman briefly.

"Let me introduce the newest member of the family. Ryan, this is Valeska. Valeska, Ryan."

Ryan's eyes darted to and fro like nervous flies. He repeatedly wanted to look at her eyes but as soon as he did he felt fear and had to look away again in an endless cycle. The dark red colour was quite unnerving; like something from a horror film.

"Pleased to meet you," he whispered, thrusting out a shaking hand.

Carlisle watched with interest. It appeared that Valeska was bringing out a very normal human response in Ryan; he wondered if Ryan was aware of why.

Valeska clasped his hand with her ice-cold fingers and ran her thumb briefly across the back of his hand.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, child," she replied before releasing his hand.

Ryan resisted the urge to go and hide his face in Carlisle's jacket; if he did that he might as well just curl up and die of shame right now.

"Are you staying long?" asked Carlisle. "I can make some provisions if you care to join us for a few days." It was Carlisle's practice to retrieve a small supply of blood from the bank at the hospital whenever they had visitors. He felt bad about doing so; after all, some human had gone to the time and trouble of donating it under the impression it would be used to save a life. Though in a way that was still the case, he thought. Better donated blood than a human victim.

Valeska smiled. "Possibly just until tomorrow," she said. "But no need to go to any trouble; I won't be needing any for a few days yet."

Carlisle appreciated that she was speaking in such a coded manner and nodded gratefully at her.

"Well make yourself welcome," he said. "Our home is always open to you, my dear."

,,,

That night Ryan was once more beset by nightmares. He dreamed that Carlisle and Esme had decided to throw a party, though for some reason only one guest was allowed. They had allowed Edward to choose who it should be and he had named Valeska. The doorbell rang and Ryan had been told to let her in. Upon opening the door he found to his horror that the guest was in fact Carl who stood there leering at him.

"Come in Carl," called Edward. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my best friend."

"But what about him?" asked Carl, indicating Ryan with a rough jerk of his thumb.

Everyone had laughed uproariously. "He doesn't count for anything," they shrieked. "_You_ are the one who is welcome here, not him."

As Ryan had turned to look back at Carl, he had come face to face with eyes which glowed red like the pits of hell and had felt a familiar hand grasp him around the throat.

"I warned you what would happen if you told anyone," he snarled, lifting Ryan off his feet.

Ryan felt the air being cut from his lungs and began thrashing around trying to escape. "I didn't tell, I didn't tell," he gasped. "Please, Carl, please don't kill me…I'll do whatever you want…I won't tell them…"

With a gasp his eyes flew open and he found himself staring up into Edward's rather stern face.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," he spluttered, struggling to sit upright. They must be sick and tired of the upheaval he was creating in their lives; having to feed and clothe him; listening as he cried out in his sleep like a five year old; and now ruining a visit by Edward's girlfriend. In misery he tucked his knees up and buried his face.

Edward frowned at the huddled figure, still enraged by the images he had seen the boy's sub-conscious conjuring up. He wasn't at all upset at the thought of Valeska being the influence behind the vision of red eyes; no, it was the character of Carl which made the watching vampire growl with anger. He'd fleetingly wondered if the name was merely a distortion of Carlisle in the boy's mind, but then the events became clearly memories of the past: Promises not to tell, the squeezing of his throat matching the bruises he had first arrived with. No; Edward was convinced that this Carl was very real and was the one who had hurt the boy.

"Don't be sorry, silly," he soothed, using his most alluring tone of voice. "We keep telling you; life can be rather dull for us." He paused. "You don't mind that I came in, do you? It's just that I can't help but like you and it sounded like you were having a bad dream. What were you dreaming about?"

Ryan shrugged and a muffled voice claimed, "Nothing. I mean, I don't remember."

Edward narrowed his eyes at the obvious lie but didn't want to remind Ryan that he already knew.

"Perhaps you ate something funny," he soothed. "They say cheese makes you have bad dreams, though I'm not sure why that would be so. I've seen people eat far worse than that."

Ryan appeared to be relaxing as Edward purposely rambled on and gradually lifted his head from his knees.

"Sometimes I dream about things that happened before, but I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget it."

Edward nodded. "I can understand wanting to forget about bad things," he said, brief flashes of his own dark memories entering his thoughts. "Just remember though that no one here will think badly of you, no matter what you might tell us."

Ryan nodded and prepared to lie down to sleep once more.

"Thanks, Edward."

The vampire gave a half smile and drifted silently from the room.

,,,

Valeska left early the next morning while Ryan was still asleep. She had quizzed Edward about the boy's disturbed sleep and was disgusted by what she learned. As she said her goodbyes to the Cullens, she couldn't help wonder what the future held for the boy. What would happen when the Cullens inevitably had to move? Would he one day find out what they really were and would he tell? And what if the Volturi got wind of it? They cast a very dim light on indiscretion; would Carlisle and his coven be at risk?

,,,

A general sense of malaise descended upon the Cullen household as Monday morning approached. It was the beginning of another school year; another round of dull, repetitive lessons in subjects they had already studied many times before. One member of the family was feeling more apprehensive than the rest; Ryan. Esme noticed his lack of appetite and the fact that he seemed more withdrawn than ever and took him to one side.

"Is going to school worrying you?" she asked, trying to gauge his feelings from his expression.

Ryan picked at a fingernail and nodded.

"What if I can't do the work? What if I look stupid?"

Esme felt suddenly torn between wanting to protect the child from everything unpleasant in his world and the knowledge that he needed to be pushed to experience all the things which should have been a normal part of his human life.

"They won't give you work that's impossible for you to do," she said gently. "That's the whole point of starting out in the small group situation." She moved closer to Ryan wishing her body didn't feel so cold and hard to him; she would have loved to have pulled him into a comforting hug.

"And all of us here will help you with anything you don't understand," she continued. "Give it a try, Ryan. You might find that after a while you actually really love it." She smiled. "Carlisle and Edward in particular are still thrilled by anything new they learn, and Jasper often has his nose in a book. The world is such a wonderful, exciting place, Ryan. School can open that world to you."

Ryan studied his fingers and sighed. In truth he did love finding out new things. The few books he'd had in his previous life had been pretty much learned inside out and given a choice, he always preferred to watch documentaries on TV over other shows. It was just the thought of being thrown in with a bunch of strangers which worried him more than anything. He'd let his guard down a little with the Cullens and had grown to feel fairly relaxed in their company. He really didn't want to have to get to know new people all over again. Edward, who had been listening, moved into the room.

"As schools go, Forks High isn't such a bad one," he said. "And the rest of us will be there too," _unfortunately_, he thought, "So you'll have someone to sit with at lunch."

Ryan nodded resignedly. Clearly school was going to happen; might as well just face up to it.

,,,

Monday morning and the Cullens set off for school. Two cars were necessary so Ryan rode with Edward, Alice and Jasper in the Volvo.

"Everything is going to be perfectly fine," sang Alice, as Edward pulled into the parking lot. "Jasper and I will come and get you at lunch time and you can come and sit with us."

As they exited the vehicle she briefly hugged Ryan who promptly turned beetroot red before they headed their separate ways.

Miss Magson was the young teacher in charge of the unit where Ryan was to be working. Unlike some of the staff, education was an absolute passion for her and she particularly enjoyed working with the more vulnerable members of the student population. Some of her group were students who required frequent time out of school due to medical conditions; others suffered from severe low self-esteem and simply found the hustle and bustle of mainstream school too daunting to cope with. Very occasionally a pupil whose first language was not English might be referred there for a while until they became sufficiently fluent so as to cope in class. Whatever the reason, all the students found Miss Magson's class to be a calm safe haven where they could focus on learning.

She smiled as Ryan appeared nervously at the door.

"Welcome, Ryan," she said, standing up to usher him into the room. She spoke quietly to him. "I know it's all probably a little over-whelming at first but you'll soon find your feet and settle in."

She led him over to a small table near the windows.

"This will be your desk for now, although sometimes we move around if people are working on group projects and so forth. I've put some basic supplies out for you." She indicated a couple of notepads and a selection of pens and pencils.

"I've got stuff in here," he whispered, holding up his bag which Esme had filled with everything she thought he might need for the day.

Miss Magson smiled. "Well that's great. Now, let's get you started."

She wanted Ryan to feel comfortable in the class and so had decided to set him some work that he should find relatively easy. His assessments indicated that his written and mathematical skills were remarkably proficient for someone who had never been formally educated, but that he lacked large areas of knowledge, particularly in subjects such as history and politics.

"I understand you like math, Ryan. Is that right?"

Ryan nodded.

"I think you might enjoy these then," she said, opening a textbook and placing it on the table. "It's a problem solving activity. I'm going to come by to see how you're getting on and to help with anything you get stuck on. If you need something though, just raise your hand like so and I'll come over."

Ryan slid into the seat and began taking out some of his supplies from his bag. Within a few moments he was absorbed in tackling the math problems and Miss Magson left him to it.

The morning passed quite quickly and Ryan found himself enjoying the activities his teacher gave him to do, even if they were a bit easy. His main terror had been of the other students but fortunately there were only five others in the class and Miss Magson hadn't put him through the ordeal of being introduced.

He noticed the others looking at him now and then but nobody seemed to make a big deal out of his presence and he felt himself relax a little.

As lunchtime approached he saw Alice and Jasper walking across the concourse outside and gave a half smile of relief. After reassuring Miss Magson that he was fine and that he knew where to go he met the two outside.

"See, I told you it would be okay," exclaimed Alice as Ryan related the events of his morning.

,,,

The others were already in the lunch hall when the three entered. They all usually sat at the same table close to the windows and well away from the food counters. During their first year they had been amused to note how numbers at the tables either side of their own had rapidly dwindled to nothing and they were now comfortably isolated from the rest of the student body.

Ryan grabbed a tray and followed Jasper and Alice as they selected various items to eat, before paying and heading to the table. Edward, Rosalie and Emmett were all very keen to hear how his morning had gone and had to restrain themselves from asking too many questions in order to allow him to eat.

Ryan watched between mouthfuls as they orchestrated a clever dance of moving food around their plates, picking up apples and holding them a while, placing the straws of juice cartons between their lips and generally creating the illusion that they were eating.

"Doesn't anyone ever notice you don't eat?" he asked quietly.

"We do too eat!" exclaimed Emmett as he bit off a chunk of apple and swallowed it.

Ryan frowned in puzzlement before Edward explained.

"I can hear thoughts, remember? If I hear that anyone is starting to study us a little too closely, then we go ahead and take a few mouthfuls until their attention wanes."

"I thought you couldn't eat food," pressed Ryan, tucking into the strawberry yoghurt he'd selected for dessert.

Edward grinned at Emmett. "True, but we can store it in our stomachs until we have an opportunity to get rid of it."

"Get rid of…" Ryan looked at Emmett, suddenly realising what he was going to do later. He wrinkled his nose. "Oh that's gross!"

Emmett laughed and swallowed another bite of apple just to show off, much to Rosalie's distaste.

,,,

Lunchtime was over all too quickly and Ryan returned to his classroom. Miss Magson was busy setting up an educational DVD and the other students took the opportunity to find out about Ryan.

Questions flew at him about his name, what grade he was in, where he'd moved from and where he was living. As soon as he mentioned the Cullens, interest piqued.

"Dr and Mrs Cullen?" asked Amy, her blue eyes wide with interest.

Ryan just nodded. He was very wary about getting into any conversation regarding the Cullens in case he let something slip. Esme and Carlisle had reassured him that he would do just fine and had tried to explain how Alice was going to keep a careful watch just in case he should forget himself but he didn't really understand how Alice's ability worked. If he just suddenly shouted out _The Cullens drink blood,_ what was she supposed to do about it?

"What are they like?" she continued. "Are they really rich? What's their house like? What's Edward like?"

This last was accompanied by a slight flush to her cheeks as her friend Becky elbowed her in the ribs.

"Amy fancies Edward," she said, hugging her friend who squirmed and hit her back.

"Shut _up_ Becky," she exclaimed indignantly. "Anyway, I don't _fancy_ him, I was just being polite to Ryan; just making conversation."

"Yeah, yeah," laughed Becky as Ryan took the opportunity to extract himself from the conversation and sidle back to his table.

The DVD was an introduction to the presidential election process in the United States after which they were going to compare it to other systems around the world. As the class began filling out a summary sheet of the key points there was a knock at the door. Miss Magson went to see what the woman wanted.

"My name's Helen Robbins," said the woman, shaking Miss Magson's hand. I'm new with the department for child services in Port Angeles and part of my remit is to liaise with schools in Forks. I've spoken to Mr Greene and he informs me that you have a new student from out of state, a Ryan Jameson?"

Ryan's ears pricked up at the mention of his name, though he continued studying the worksheet in front of him.

"Yes, that's right," answered Miss Magson, quietly. "He just started today. Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem at all," said Helen, scanning the room with her eyes. She continued very quietly. "I suppose you know he's a foster child?"

Miss Magson nodded.

"Well I need to arrange a few home visits, that sort of thing. Make sure he is placed with a suitable family."

Miss Magson frowned. "I was told social services in Portland already placed him with the Cullens. They're a very respectable couple."

Helen pursed her lips. "That's as may be, but I'm not one to go on hearsay. I intend to arrange a home visit and interview the parents. They might be wealthy and prestigious in the eyes of this _small_ community but that doesn't necessarily make them good parents."

Miss Magson bristled at the suggestion that Forks wasn't capable of monitoring its own community and from what she had seen last year of the other Cullen children, Dr and Mrs Cullen were excellent parents.

"Well I'm sure they will be only too happy to co-operate with you and your department," she said pleasantly. "And any information you need from an education point of view, I will willingly provide. Now if you'll excuse me I have students to teach."

,,,

Jasper watched Alice discretely as her eyes stared off into an unknown distance. He glanced casually around the class to see if anyone else had noticed but no one had. As she came to, he squeezed her arm supportively.

"Anything?" He murmured.

Alice's mouth quirked. "A human has just decided to pay the Cullens a home visit. That should be interesting!"

* * *

Just a note that Miss Magson is based on a teacher of the same name from my own school days. She opened up a new world of literature to me and was always encouraging. Over thirty years later, I still remember her clearly.

Reviews much appreciated :)


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you to everyone who is continuing to read the story, and especially to the lubbly jubbly ones who review *Beams delightedly at you*

* * *

The Cullens sat around the dining table in the early hours of the morning, discussing their plans for Helen Robbins' forthcoming visit. Although they hadn't received a formal notice yet, Alice knew she would be arriving on Saturday morning at 10am. Carlisle studied the paperwork he had prepared on Ryan for the umpteenth time.

"I still don't understand what has prompted her visit," he frowned. "Everything here is completely in order."

Esme placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "I don't think the fault lies in the documentation," she said. "Clearly this Ms Robbins is new to the department and wants to make a name for herself in her thorough approach to her position."

Carlisle pursed his lips. "I must admit it's not something I anticipated. We need to ensure that every avenue is covered. If she's this keen on checking Ryan's placement with us, then it's highly likely she will contact Social Services in Portland directly. I suggest we create a similar folder to our own and have it placed in the wrong section of their records department. By the time they track the records down they will be in a hurry to pass the information on and won't bother to check who was involved in the case in the first place."

Edward nodded. "I'll make discrete enquiries into any temporary staff they may have had in the past months. If a suitable candidate arises for our purposes then we can add their name to the documents."

"See to it, Edward," agreed Carlisle as his son left the room to begin his research. He pressed his fingertips together and looked at the rest of the family.

"Needless to say, this visit must run as smoothly as possible. I've no idea what exactly she hopes to see when she comes here, but it must completely fit with our story of being a family of adopted children. The first thing we must change will be the bedrooms."

Rosalie scowled instantly. "Emmett and I have only just completed our room to our tastes. Why do we have to change it all?"

Carlisle frowned. "Because, Rosalie, you are supposed to be sixteen years old. Even in this enlightened day and age I doubt it would be acceptable for Esme and me to freely allow you to be sleeping with your supposed boyfriend under our roof."

"The king sized beds will need to go for a start," interjected Jasper softly. "Perhaps they could all be hidden in the attic. Ms Robbins would have no need to know that the attic is used for anything other than storage."

Carlisle smiled. "That's a very good idea, Jasper. The remaining rooms can be adapted to look as though some of you share." He paused. "Of the three remaining bedrooms, Alice and Rose can have one, Jasper can share Ryan's and Emmett can go in with Edward. And before you say anything Rosalie," he said, anticipating her next complaint, "This is all just for show for the duration of her visit."

Rosalie sighed and nodded. At least her and Emmett's real lair would be undamaged. They had been spending an inordinate amount of time up there since it was completed and she was loving every second of it.

"We can knock up some fake single beds if you like, Carlisle," suggested Emmett. It wouldn't take a vampire more than a few minutes to carve a fallen tree trunk into enough pieces to form a passing resemblance to a real bed. Once covered in sheets and blankets they would look perfect.

"Esme, perhaps you, Emmett and Rosalie can take care of that detail," said Carlisle. "Jasper and Alice, I'd like you to purchase some decorative items suited to a teenager's room; posters, magazines, candy wrappers and so forth. We still have four days which will be plenty of time if anything else occurs to us."

"There's one thing we haven't discussed," said Rosalie softly. "Ryan. What do we tell him about this visit?"

Carlisle thought for a moment. "He'll need to know about it as soon as we begin altering the rooms. I'll discuss it with him. It shouldn't be any cause for alarm for the boy; after all, it won't in any way affect his position in this family." He smiled. "Ms Robbins won't disrupt his happiness or my name isn't Cullen!"

,,,

The week passed swiftly and all too soon Friday evening arrived. The bedrooms had been transformed into dens of grunge and everyone was prepared. Ryan had been fairly calm about the visit especially when everyone reassured him that there was absolutely no way he would be removed from their care. For Ryan's peace of mind, Carlisle suggested that if he felt concerned about answering any of her questions he could simply act as if he was extremely shy and either Carlisle or Esme would help him out. Ryan was certain that he wouldn't need to act at all; he would be painfully shy for real if the woman started asking him too many things.

Emmett lay sprawled across one of the single beds in Edward's room, watching his brother picking up a candy wrapper from the floor and place it carefully into the bin. He smirked and withdrew another from his pocket which he casually dropped on the floor.

"Emmett, don't!" exclaimed Edward, glaring. "Half of them still have remnants of chocolate on them. My carpet's going to be filthy."

Emmett stifled a laugh. "I'm just following Carlisle's orders," he said innocently. "This is supposed to be a typical teenage boys' room."

"Those vulgar posters and your dumbbells are bad enough," snarled Edward, making a lunge for Emmett to take the remaining wrappers. "It doesn't have to be a complete pig-sty."

Emmett laughed heartily as he deflected Edward's attack and the two of them crashed to the floor. Esme appeared in the doorway.

"We don't have time to rebuild the house so I suggest you stop," she said quietly. Both boys looked at her sheepishly.

"He started it," muttered Edward. "I don't see why my room has to get trashed. I bet he wouldn't do this if we were using the attic room."

Carlisle peeked over Esme's shoulder.

"Excellent! They sound exactly like human juveniles." He ducked swiftly out the way before Edward could launch something at his head.

_You know I'm only teasing, Edward. Anything which cannot be returned to its former status will be replaced, I promise._

Edward, slightly mollified, huffed and gave Emmett one more punch for luck.

,,,

9 a.m. Saturday morning. Ryan finished his breakfast and added his plate to the other dirty ones piled in the sink, completing the illusion that the entire family had breakfasted together. Suddenly everyone turned to gaze at Alice as she gasped and clutched at the table, an expression of horror on her face. Jasper flew to her side.

"Alice, what have you seen?"

The vision passed and Alice turned to gently cup Jasper's face.

"Oh Jazz, you can't meet Ms Robbins, you simply mustn't."

Carlisle looked questioningly at her.

"It's her scent, Jasper will find it extremely difficult to resist, and if she's alone with him then there's a possibility that he…"

Seeing Ryan listening attentively to what was being said, Carlisle interrupted loudly.

"Thank you Alice, we will just have to adapt our plan that's all. Perhaps you and Jasper will accompany me to the study where we may discuss this."

He smiled reassuringly at Ryan as the three of them headed upstairs; Alice a picture of worry, Jasper hanging his head in shame. Carlisle closed the door behind them.

"Jasper, don't you dare go feeling bad about this," he said. "It's one thing to resist a normal human, but one whose scent appeals to us so and in such a closed environment would prove a trial to any of us. Naturally if you were to meet her in everyday life you would remove yourself from her presence, I have no doubt of that, but that won't be possible here and it's unfair to expect you to have to put up with that. The burn would be quite intolerable."

Jasper raised his eyes to meet his leader's gaze.

"That's as maybe, Carlisle, but it doesn't alter the fact that I will find her a temptation. Perhaps I should simply leave and pretend I've gone out for the day?"

Carlisle shook his head. "No, the letter clearly stated she wants to see everyone. If you avoid her today, she may spring a surprise visit at school and that could prove even more awkward."

"Could Jazz be ill?" wondered Alice.

"Go on," said Carlisle, interestedly.

"Jasper could pretend to be ill in bed with flu or something. When Ms Robbins arrives, you could be up with Jasper. She can briefly see the two of you together to satisfy herself that Jasper is a cared for member of the family but she would then have to leave him alone as he would supposedly need to sleep. As soon as she leaves the room, Jasper can go out the window and into the forest to clear her scent from himself."

She beamed proudly at the two men, unable to see a flaw in her plan.

Carlisle smiled back. "Alice, my dear, I think you have come up with the perfect ruse there." He looked at Jasper. "You're certainly pale enough to be ill; a little added sheen of sweat to your brow and a racking cough will complete the illusion."

Jasper grinned, pleased that he wasn't going to disrupt their plans too much. "I'll get to bed now, sir," he said, and turned on his heels to go and get tucked into Ryan's bed.

"I have some medication in my bag; I'll put it by the bed with some water and tissues. I'm sure she won't be so cruel as to linger long once she sees he looks so ill." With that Carlisle went to retrieve the items and prepare the scene.

,,,

At 9.57 a.m. they heard the sound of a car approaching down the long driveway and braced themselves. Carlisle was sitting next to Jasper who was lying in bed with a wet flannel across his forehead to provide the fake sweat and a thermometer in his mouth, the reading on which, in any other circumstances, would have had the patient in question being sadly wheeled off to the morgue. Ryan and Emmett were playing a game of cards on the living room floor with Edward sitting off to one side watching. Rosalie and Alice were sprawled on a rug, heads conspiratorially close together as they giggled over a magazine article on the band JLS. Esme stood at the kitchen sink washing dishes. A perfectly normal all American Saturday morning scene – hopefully. The doorbell rang.

Esme dried her hands and walked across to answer the door.

"Hello," she beamed. "You must be Ms Robbins. Do come in."

"Please, call me Helen," replied the social worker, rapidly shaking Esme's hand which was still warm enough from the washing-up water. "This is quite a place you have here, though perhaps a little remote. It must make socialising quite difficult for the children."

This was to be the first of many sniping criticisms that morning as Helen sought to determine whether this indeed was the best place for Ryan.

,,,

Helen Robbins had graduated from college three years ago and, after two years working as a lowly assistant in the busy Seattle department of child services, had been thrilled to secure her position as case manager with direct responsibility for children in care in the Port Angeles region. She was very dedicated to her career and intended to work her way up the ladder as soon as possible, believing that she had a great deal to offer in her chosen field. To her credit, she genuinely cared for the welfare of vulnerable children, but tended to be rather blunt in her dealings with adults. The head of services in Seattle had been only too pleased to give her glowing references and see her on her way.

,,,

Esme led the way into the lounge.

"Most of the children are in here at the moment," she said. She raised her voice. "Everyone, this is Helen."

Four angelic faces and one rather worried one turned to greet Helen with various waves and 'heys'. Helen's eyes focussed on Ryan, who she recognised from her file. Poor child looked rather small and nervous next to that huge one. Well, no matter, she'd soon determine if he was unhappy here and if so then she would find a more suitable placement.

"I'll speak to the children later, if that's alright Mrs Cullen. I'd like to see the home first. By the way," she glanced around, "Isn't your husband home?"

"It's Esme, and yes, he's upstairs with our other son, Jasper. Unfortunately the poor boy woke with a terrible sore throat this morning. Carlisle's just checking on him now. Shall we begin with the kitchen?"

Esme led the way across to the kitchen, trying not to let her smile slip as she listened to Helen scribbling notes all over the pad she carried.

"Do you consider yourselves wealthy?" asked Helen, noting the fine bespoke kitchen units and chrome fittings.

"I suppose we are more comfortable than many," said Esme gently. "My husband is a doctor at the hospital here in Forks and earns a generous salary."

"Hm, I see," said Helen, writing a few more notes. "I suppose the children get everything they ask for then?"

Esme smiled at the obvious trap. "We believe in teaching our children the true value of money," she said. "They are all expected to do chores in order to earn an allowance, and we encourage them to donate unwanted items to charities regularly. I wouldn't consider any of them greedy or materialistic." She hoped fervently that this woman wouldn't want to look in the garage where over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of vehicles were housed, or examine the closets which contained clothes that no mere allowance could ever buy.

"I'll see the sleeping arrangements now," said Helen, heading for the stairs.

_Good luck with that, only one of us actually sleeps_, thought Esme, causing Edward to snort with laughter.

"This is the girls' room," said Esme, opening the door to what in fact was Alice and Jasper's room.

Helen wrinkled her nose slightly at the make-up strewn across the bed, the hundreds of JLS posters covering every inch of wall space and the school bags slung into a corner.

"We try to teach the children some independence in their rooms," explained Esme. "They are responsible for the cleaning themselves and in return we allow them to arrange the rooms as they see fit, within reason. We believe it will instil good habits for when they eventually have homes of their own."

"This doesn't look very clean at all," replied Helen. "There are dirty clothes on the floor." She poked the limited edition Gucci blouse that Alice had deliberately placed there though thankfully didn't recognise the label. "And just look at the way those school things have been thrown into the corner. Perhaps your children still need a little more guidance if they aren't to become spoiled and bratty."

Esme's rage was well hidden as she smiled placidly at the other woman. How _dare_ she insinuate that anyone's children were bratty. What _right_ had she to just waltz into a stranger's home and start criticising every little aspect?

"With all due respect," she said evenly, "I think you'll find that the children who have been with us a while, all maintain a perfect 4.0 grade average in school and have never received anything other than high praise from their teachers. They most certainly are not spoiled or bratty."

"Oh really?" continued Helen. "So you put quite a lot of pressure on them to achieve well do you? Tell me, how do you and your husband deal with failure?"

Esme's voice dropped a notch and the listening Cullens recognised it as the first warning sign that Esme's temper was being sorely tested.

"We have never regarded anything our children do as failings. If they come home with an F grade then we help them to improve by providing extra tuition and support. We believe that life is one long learning curve and that every experience, good or bad, can be used in a positive sense and learned from. My husband and I are both avid readers and I think we have passed on this love of learning to our children without any pressure."

"And do you think someone like Ryan who's never had a day's schooling in his life can live up to your expectations?"

Ryan, who was straining his ears to listen in to the conversation, stared at the others in consternation.

"She won't take me away will she? What if she thinks I'm not smart enough to stay here? I don't want to go."

Emmett hugged the panic stricken boy and gently ruffled his hair.

"As if we're gonna allow you to get taken away," he said.

"And it's not a case of being smart or otherwise," added Edward. He chuckled. "Though the way you keep getting us to tell you all sorts of things about us makes you unbelievably smart in my book."

Ryan gave a small smile, partly reassured, and kept listening.

"This is Emmett and Edward's room," said Esme, opening the door with some trepidation.

The look on Helen's face was priceless as she was assaulted by the overpowering scent of cheap aftershave and the sight of numerous pairs of socks and boxer shorts all over the room. Edward, who clearly saw the scene through her eyes hissed angrily at Emmett.

"I told you to leave it alone the way it was. Trust you to go over the top!"

Emmett shrugged. "We're supposed to be kids. Kids don't clean up."

Edward scowled and went back to watching.

Esme was suddenly at a loss or words. She laughed lightly. "Yes, well, boys will be boys. Carlisle and I find we have to be a little firmer over the cleaning up with these two. Though once we ask them to, they always make a good effort and get everything ship shape." She sighed. "It just doesn't stay that way for long."

Helen stood on the threshold of the room, from where she noticed the weightlifting equipment.

"I notice one of your sons is much bigger than the other children. Does he work out a lot?"

Esme tried not to laugh. "You mean Emmett. Yes he is rather keen on sports and keeping fit."

Helen pursed her lips. "If you ask me, that sort of muscle doesn't come merely through exercise," she said. "I'd have a good look round in here for steroids if I were you. Now, let's move on." She hurriedly closed the door. "Where does Ryan sleep?"

"This way," said Esme, walking further down the hallway. "I think you'll find these two are a little more house proud than the others. Ryan is very proud of their room and they both like to keep it tidy." She paused outside the door. "By the way, I mentioned that Jasper is ill in bed at the moment so if you don't mind we'll just take a quick peek. I don't want him to be disturbed."

"Of course not," said Helen. "Children's health is not something to be taken lightly."

Esme slowly pushed open the door just as Carlisle and Jasper began their performance.

"Now let's see," said Carlisle, removing the thermometer from Jasper's mouth. "101.7, seems you have a slight fever, son." He shook the thermometer again and placed it back into his case where the damp flannel had just been hidden. He rested the back of his hand against Jasper's damp forehead.

"Don't worry, son, you stay tucked up in bed and rest as much as you can. You'll soon be feeling much better."

Jasper, who wasn't breathing so as to minimise contact with Helen's scent merely moaned in response.

Esme walked across to the bed and stooped to kiss Jasper's forehead.

"I'll fetch a cloth for you, sweetheart," she cooed. "You're sweating quite a lot." She straightened up and turned to face Helen who was watching from the doorway. "Carlisle, I'd like you to meet Helen. Helen, this is my husband Carlisle."

Carlisle stood up and walked across the room to greet Helen. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, using the full force of his smile on her. "Sorry I wasn't downstairs to greet you but as you can see, Jasper here is feeling very poorly indeed."

Right on cue, Jasper moaned again and rolled over to face the wall. He still wasn't breathing but even so, the woman's delectable scent had permeated the whole room and was tickling his taste buds in a most distracting manner. The venom was already beginning to gather in his mouth and every swallow took the taste of her deeper and deeper within him.

"If you don't mind I think we should continue our conversation elsewhere," continued Carlisle, knowing Jasper was beginning to genuinely feel uncomfortable. He and Esme ushered Helen out of the room and closed the door firmly.

"Do you want to see the master bedroom?" asked Esme.

Helen smiled. "No, I think I've seen enough to get a general picture of the place. I'd like to speak to the children now." Boldly she began to march downstairs. Carlisle and Esme shared a glance and followed.

In the bedroom, Jasper heard the human retreating downstairs and gratefully slid open the bedroom window. With one bound he sprang lithely from the room and sped off into the forest taking huge gulps of fresh clean air as he tracked the nearest animal to sate his raging thirst.

Helen walked back into the lounge and looked around at the younger members of the family. Although she wasn't here to make a judgement on their placement, after all they were already formally adopted, she did want to get a general sense of the family dynamics and how Ryan would fit into that. She looked at the girls first.

"Hello you two, can I have a word?"

Alice and Rosalie gazed up at her innocently.

"In private if that's possible." Helen looked questioningly at Esme and Carlisle. Carlisle frowned.

"I have no formal objections," he said, "Though your letter didn't mention that my children were to be interviewed. Is this really normal procedure?"

Helen smiled patiently, like a school teacher trying to explain for the thousandth time why the sun appears to move across the sky each day.

"By the end of this visit, I want to have satisfied myself and my department that your family is the best placement for Ryan. I can only do that by exploring every avenue thoroughly, including the opinions of _all_ family members. I do hope you didn't think I came here simply to check that the house was clean and that there was food in the fridge did you?"

Only the listening Cullens heard the minute clicks of Carlisle's jaw clenching as he listened to the patronising tone of the detestable creature before him.

"If you wish to speak to my children privately, you may use the room over there." He indicated the small study in which Ryan had first slept. "However," he continued, "If they do not wish to speak to you unaccompanied by a parent then I will not force them."

"Well said, Mr Cullen," replied Helen. "That was just my little way of testing how responsible you are towards your children's safety. In reality I have no wish to speak to them privately, here will do."

She turned to the listening vampires.

"Do any of you have anything to say on the matter of Ryan living here?" she asked, much to Ryan's embarrassment. He turned bright red and studied the cards in his hand.

"Yes, I do," said Emmett. "Ryan is a great kid and I already think of him as my brother. He's totally cool with everything we do and he just fits right in." He folded his arms across his chest. "If Ryan is made to go then I'm not ever speaking to anyone again."

Carlisle and Esme both clamped their lips firmly together to prevent themselves from bursting into hysterical laughter at Emmett's portrayal of a pouting teenager.

There were various echoes of 'Me too' from around the room, leaving Helen in no doubt that the boy was a welcome addition to the family.

"Well it's good to hear that you all get along so well," she said. She turned to Carlisle and Esme. "I think that about wraps it up for me. I'll make my report out and you will be informed of the outcome. Now, if you don't mind I think I'll just say goodbye to the other child and then I'll be off."

"Other child?" asked Carlisle, genuinely confused.

"Yes, the one who is ill in bed. Just a quick goodbye and to wish him a speedy recovery."

Everyone momentarily froze in consternation; Jasper was no longer in the bedroom, in fact, who knew _where_ he might be by now. Esme recovered herself first.

"I'm sure he's asleep by now," she said. "I really don't want to disturb him."

"Nonsense," said Helen. "If he's asleep then obviously I won't speak to him. And if he's awake, well then I can say goodbye." She headed for the stairs.

Alice leapt to her feet. "Edward, come and help me practice pitching in the yard," she said brightly. "I might try out for the girls' squad next week."

Edward followed her out into the garden from where they both sprinted off into the woods to scour for Jasper.

Carlisle and Esme continued to try and stall for time.

"Would you like to have a quick look at the grounds?" asked Esme.

"Is there some paperwork we need to sign, we could go in my study," offered Carlisle.

Helen dismissed them both with a brief shake of the head, and continued upwards.

,,,

Meanwhile, Alice was focussing one hundred percent on her visions, trying to recognise the part of the forest she saw Jasper running through. Edward strained his gift to the limit, trying to hear his brother's thoughts from as far away as possible. Suddenly Alice recognised the small clearing Jasper was crossing and the two siblings sped off.

,,,

Helen reached the top step and looked at the doors either side of her.

"Sorry, which one was he in?" she asked.

"Guess," said Carlisle, hearing quite clearly that Jasper was in none of them.

"Excuse me?" asked Helen incredulously.

"Yes, guess," beamed Esme, linking arms with Carlisle.

Helen looked at them both as if they'd gone mad. She could only put their bizarre behaviour down to a little stress caused by her visit. She looked at the doors, trying in vain to remember.

"Is it that one?" she asked, pointing to one of the rooms.

"Try it and see," they answered, thankful that she'd picked the wrong one.

Trying not to roll her eyes, Helen opened the door.

,,,

"Why does that damnable woman want to say goodbye to me?" grumbled Jasper as the three of them ran full speed towards home.

"Beats me," said Edward. "Maybe she thinks you're cute." He laughed and increased his speed as Jasper tore after him in annoyance.

They paused at the edge of the lawn.

"Good, she's still in the hallway," said Edward. "Now, go!"

Jasper flew across the lawn and with one leap disappeared into Ryan's bedroom just as Helen opened the door.

"See, he's still awake," she said softly. "I just came to say goodbye sweetie and I hope you feel better soon."

Jasper peered at her with the duvet drawn up tightly around his chin. Carlisle sat on the edge of the bed.

"Son, you really need to try and get some sleep now," he said quietly, pressing his cool hand to Jasper's brow and at the same time discretely removing the twig that was lodged in his hair.

He stood again and escorted Helen from the room.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Esme passed Helen's jacket to her.

"I know I said I'd be filing a report but I think I may as well put your minds to rest now anyway. Ryan is clearly in good hands here and I will be recommending open-ended foster care, meaning that for all intents and purposes he is permanently placed with you."

Carlisle and Esme smiled. "That is indeed wonderful news, Ryan will be very pleased."

"Yes," she said, fastening the last button. "I imagine it came as a great relief to be taken from that den of iniquity he was raised in. By the way, did you know that the police have recently investigated the death and have now closed down that house? I think they found two young women there, from Russia or Ukraine or some such place. Anyway, they are to be reunited with their families. Unfortunately the man who ran the place disappeared before the police arrived. How exactly did Ryan react to the news of his mother's death? I would have expected him to be much more sorrowful still."

Carlisle closed his eyes in dismay as he detected the tiny gasp from Ryan who had clearly heard every word.

"He doesn't yet know," he said icily. "I was waiting for the right moment to tell him."

"I see," said Helen, quite oblivious to the change in Carlisle's mood. "Well if you need any support or guidance when it comes to the time, I'll be only willing to help."

_You've done quite enough_, raged Carlisle as he opened the door for her and watched her walk to her car. Turning he came face to face with Ryan.

* * *

Oh dear! Perhaps a few reviews might help the Cullens deal with the aftermath of Ms Robbins' visit? *Flutters eyelashes as you hit the review button...*


	17. Chapter 17

The reviews have passed the 100 mark! I am astounded! Thank you so much to everyone for patiently sticking with the story :)

* * *

Carlisle looked at the boy who was glaring back at him with a look of complete and utter betrayal.

"Ryan I…"

"You _knew_! You knew all the time and you didn't say. Why didn't you say?"

Ryan was so full of rage he was actually trembling slightly. Carlisle moved closer to put his arm around the boy, but Ryan was ready.

"Don't you touch me, don't you dare touch me," he yelled, shrugging off Carlisle's touch. The vampire dropped his arm in bewilderment. He was utterly devastated that Ryan was in so much pain and for once felt powerless to do anything about it.

"Please, Ryan," he said softly. "Let me explain…"

"No!"

Two hands shoved hard against the immoveable granite of Carlisle's chest before Ryan turned on his heel and ran up the stairs. There was the sound of a door being violently slammed shut and then silence. Nobody moved a muscle.

"I'll go," said Edward quietly, and disappeared silently up the stairs to Ryan's room. He pushed open the door and looked in, quite prepared to have something hurled at his head. Watching Carlisle and Ryan just then had reminded him of the hundreds of times he had been infuriated by something Carlisle had innocently said or done, or simply a look, mistimed and misinterpreted. And ninety-nine times out of a hundred, his angry response turned out to be completely unjustified, although by then usually furniture needed replacing or walls repairing. He sighed. At least Ryan wasn't capable of destroying too much in his turmoil.

The room was empty but minute scuffling noises from the closet told Edward where Ryan was hiding; he tapped on the closet door.

"Go away!"

Edward chose to ignore the muffled order and opened the door anyway. He could just make out Ryan's feet poking out from the space designed to house empty suitcases. The boy was sitting huddled in a tiny ball with his face buried in his knees, arms wrapped around them, fists clenched tightly; Edward couldn't tell if he was crying or not.

"I'm sorry about your mother," he began. "It's a horrible thing to have to hear."

"What do you care?" came the response.

Edward paused. "I lost both my parents too," he said. "It was a long time ago, but," he looked at Ryan's bowed head, "I still think of them, especially my mother." Images flashed briefly through Edward's mind; the house in Chicago which he still owned; the scent of his mother's perfume; the favourite piano piece she always asked him to play; and above all her eyes, vivid emerald green eyes, just as his own had once been.

There was a moment's silence. "What was she like?"

Edward considered what to tell him. "She was very strong, I mean determined." He laughed a little. "If she wanted something to happen then trust me, it did. But she was also very kind and loving; passionate about the things that mattered to her." He indulged himself in a little more reminiscing before his attention snapped back to the present.

"He didn't mean to hurt you, you know," he said. "Carlisle just didn't know how to break it to you. He would have eventually of course; I think he was just wanting to find the right moment."

"How did… how did she die?"

Edward knew Ryan was referring to his own mother now, and not Edward's.

"I imagine Carlisle has the details. Shall I go and fetch him?"

Edward took the slight head movement as an affirmative and after gently squeezing the boy's shoulder, returned to his family who were waiting anxiously downstairs, having heard the exchange.

"He'll never trust me again after this," said Carlisle worriedly.

"That's rubbish," said Edward firmly. "He doesn't hate you anywhere near as much as I used to." He grinned at Carlisle's expression.

"And that's supposed to comfort me?"

The older vampire made his way upstairs, dreading the conversation which was about to follow.

,,,

Ryan heard his bedroom door close as Edward left and lifted his head slightly. His mother was dead. His mom had died. Jennifer Jameson didn't exist any more. He sighed. No matter how he said it, it didn't feel real. It still felt like she was out there somewhere. Maybe that was better; maybe it wouldn't hurt if he imagined she was still alive. Just… missing. He adjusted the little blue toy so that it tucked under his chin again and rested his head back on his knees and tried to picture his mother's face. He didn't even have a photo of her; he didn't have anything. Except Blue.

Unconsciously he rocked slowly, conjuring up as many memories of his mother as he could; as if all of a sudden they were threatening to disappear if he didn't call them all to mind instantly. He wondered how much Carlisle and the others knew about her. Did they just know the bad side; that she allowed other men to do whatever they wanted with her for money? Maybe they felt disgusted by that knowledge. Maybe they thought she deserved whatever… no. He called a halt to that line of thinking. The Cullens hadn't judged him at all; they'd probably only feel sad that his mom had to do things like that. He briefly fantasised about the Cullens finding both he and his mother in the woods; yes that really would have been a fairy tale ending.

He listened to the silence and waited for the inevitable visit from Carlisle. He wasn't really angry with him; well, maybe a bit. He suddenly felt a little concerned that maybe it was Carlisle who was angry with him, after all, he'd yelled at him and shoved him. Carl would have hit the roof! No, Carl would have hit him.

He recalled the many times his mother had had to deal with the aftermath of a beating from Carl. How she gently dabbed at his cuts and bruises with a warm cloth, so soft and kind. How she kissed at the tears still damp on his cheeks. He closed his eyes and remembered the scent she wore, fresh and citrusy, like sunshine and flowers and fruits. He remembered the books she used to sneak in to him whenever Carl was away. Books filled with images of all the loveliness in the world outside; his favourites were the ones of foreign places. Pictures of tribes' people, of ancient customs and strange foods. Houses made from every kind of material; tiny clustered ones and huge imposing solitary ones. The books always took him away from the reality of his existence, to places where people smiled for the camera and no one got hurt.

Sometimes he got to snuggle on the sofa with his mom and they would watch TV together. Those rare moments were the best; warm, safe, loved. She would run her fingers gently through his hair as his eyes watched the images on the screen, and would hum their special song: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…

He rubbed his cheek a little against the soft toy and recalled how it had come into his possession. Carl had been out since the night before and Ryan had awoken to see his mother's smiling face looking down at him.

"Wake up, sweetheart," she'd said, planting a big kiss on his forehead. "It's your birthday!"

Ryan had sat up hurriedly, eyes wide with excitement. He knew what birthdays were but couldn't quite recall having one before.

"My birthday?" he beamed.

His mom nodded, helping him to dress in his jeans and a sweater.

"That's right, honey. You're getting to be a big boy now." She smiled her beautiful smile that always lit up her whole face. "Seven years old! Wow, you are so getting grown-up already," she teased.

Ryan had laughed and stood a little taller, after all seven was definitely a big number of years.

"We're going to have a special day today," she announced. "Just you and me." She handed him a peanut butter sandwich to eat for breakfast and then stood behind him as he brushed his teeth.

"What are we gonna do, mom?"

"You'll see," she smiled, helping him into his jacket and holding his hand as they stepped outside.

In Ryan's eyes the day had been quite simply magical. They had walked into town and gone to visit the big toy store in the high street. Ryan had been allowed to play with all the toys they had set out for demonstration; his favourite being the helicopter with the joystick that you had to try and bring to land on the helipad. It took a lot of tries but eventually he managed it.

After that they'd eaten burgers and fries and wandered down to Bella Vista Park where they'd played on every single item of playground equipment. Ryan had shrieked with delight as his mom pushed him so high on the swings he felt like he was going to hit the clouds, and then laughed as he whirled her round on the roundabout so fast she couldn't jump off.

As the afternoon wore on they made their way back to the house so as to be in before Carl got back. As he shrugged out of his jacket and sat back down on his mattress, his mom had slipped two packages into his hands.

"Can't have a birthday without presents," she said. "Go on, open them."

Ryan had held the two gifts in his hands spellbound. They were both wrapped in brightly coloured paper decorated with images of big fat balloons and the words 'Happy Birthday' written in bright red letters. One was a heavy, solid, rectangular shape and the other was rounder and squidgy. He stared at them, wondering which to open first. Placing the squidgy one down, he carefully opened the flaps on the other one and pulled back the paper. His face broke into a huge grin; chocolate!

"Keep it under your mattress and don't eat it all in one go," laughed his mother. Ryan had immediately stashed it there before turning his attention to the other package. As he removed the paper he saw bright blue fur followed by a large pair of eyes and finally two cute little feet. He clutched the toy in his hands and gently rubbed the soft fur across his mouth and nose, loving how silky it felt. His mom had smiled.

"Whenever I'm not around, he'll be your buddy," she said, ruffling his hair. "Do you like him?"

Ryan couldn't have grinned more widely if he'd tried. "I love it," he whispered, flinging his arms around his mother's neck.

"You're the only good thing I've ever done in my life," she'd said, hugging him tight. "I'll always love you, Ryan."

,,,

Carlisle looked at the child who was softly humming a familiar tune to himself. Slowly he sat down near the boy.

"I never meant to hurt you, Ryan. It all seemed so terribly unfair that after everything you've had to deal with, here was yet another blow waiting to be delivered. I should have told you though; it was your right to know. I'm sorry."

Ryan looked at the man who had shown him such unconditional love so far.

"How…," he couldn't bring himself to complete the question. Carlisle sighed.

"The police found her body in the early hours of the morning. The coroner's report says it appears she was attacked and hit her head rather heavily when she fell. It was the head injury which caused her death. It would have been instant; she wouldn't have been in pain." Carlisle left out the other details he'd read in the report. The evidence of multiple rapes; the bruised and battered body; the blood beneath her fingernails as she'd fought for her life. He watched Ryan and wished with all his heart he could simply wipe this terrible event from the boy's life.

Ryan absorbed the information numbly. "Is she… has she been buried or something?" he asked eventually. Carlisle nodded.

"If you like, Esme and I can take you to visit the grave. I believe the cemetery is on the outskirts of Gresham."

Ryan nodded.

"I'm so, so sorry for your loss, Ryan, we all are."

There wasn't much else to say, so Carlisle placed a comforting hand on the back of the boy's head for a few moments and then left him to his privacy, promising that he would be back in a little while.

When Esme came up half an hour later with a warm drink she found him curled up on the floor asleep. Tucking a warm blanket softly around him, she placed a kiss on the sleeping boy's head and tip-toed away again.

,,,

The next few days seemed to pass in a foggy haze. Ryan went through the motions of washing, eating, sleeping without much thought and the others hovered nearby, not really knowing what to say or do to help. It wasn't like they hadn't seen death in a thousand different ways over the years but this was the first time it had closely affected one of their own. Carlisle knew from his work at the hospitals that grief took many forms but was a little worried that at the moment Ryan just seemed empty, devoid of emotion. He wondered if the boy was in denial about the whole thing and determined to keep a very close eye on him.

The others made vague attempts at distraction to which Ryan responded politely but without real feeling. Esme, out of all of them, seemed to be able to continue to act normally around Ryan the most. She got him to help cook the meals and clean up afterwards; she collected some work from school, along with a lovely card from Miss Magson, and sat with him while he completed it; and she even told him off for leaving his sneakers strewn carelessly across the hallway. Ryan appreciated the normality of her behaviour and found himself seeking out her company more and more.

Esme felt deeply for the boy. She still recalled the devastation she'd felt upon losing her tiny infant son; the feeling as if someone had plunged a fist right through her stomach and reached up to yank out her heart, leaving a ragged, gaping wound in her. The last thing she had wanted to see on anyone's face was pity. Pity made her feel weak and useless and reminded her there was nothing she could do to bring her child back. Pity made her feel as though the whole world was saying _Oh, poor Esme Evenson, another failure to add to her list._ She was determined to help Ryan come to terms with his loss but to treat him normally. If he wanted to cry, she would hold him. If he wanted to laugh and fool around a little, she wouldn't look at him as though it were inappropriate. And if he just wanted to feel another presence nearby then she would do that too.

They were due to drive down to Gresham the next day to visit the grave, and Esme wondered if there was anything in particular Ryan wanted to take. She approached him where he sat on the porch, reading.

"Hello, Ryan," she smiled.

He glanced up. "Hi."

"Silly question, I suppose, but are you ready for tomorrow?"

Ryan shrugged and looked a little apprehensive.

Esme sat down next to him. "Well I was wondering if you'd like to take something to place there. Perhaps some flowers, or a little ornament." She watched his face as he processed this.

He nodded slowly then suddenly looked up. "Actually there is something I think I'd like to get. I don't know if there is such a thing, or where we can get it…" He tailed off.

"Tell me what it is, sweetheart, I'm sure we can find it." Esme was curious to know what the boy's plan was.

"Well maybe like a little ornament of a sun, with rays like sunshine." He held his hands apart demonstrating, and Esme smiled.

"There's a lovely little ceramics shop in Port Angeles; I'm sure we can find what you're looking for there," she said.

,,,

The three of them, Carlisle, Esme and Ryan, set off early the following morning for the drive down to Gresham. Most of the roads were long, open stretches where Carlisle was able to really push the speed and so they made good time, arriving a little after 11 in the morning. Carlisle wanted to pull over at a café to let Ryan have something to eat, but the boy insisted he couldn't face food and so they made do with getting him a bottle of juice which he sipped at half-heartedly.

They reached the entrance to the cemetery and parked in the parking lot just outside. Ryan looked at the flower stall situated just across the lot.

"Let's get a nice arrangement," suggested Carlisle, and together they chose a cheerful array of yellows and reds and oranges.

As they walked along through the cemetery towards the section reserved for those buried at the county's expense, Carlisle sensed Ryan tensing and could hear his pulse rate increasing rapidly. He paused and turned, stooping a little to look Ryan in the eye.

"Ryan, we can take as long as you wish; no rush. If you want to wait a while and come back later then that is perfectly fine. And please know that Esme and I will be here for you every step of the way; you aren't in this alone." He squeezed the boy's shoulders reassuringly and Esme placed a comforting hand on Ryan's back.

"I quite agree, Ryan. If this is getting too much, just say and we'll wait until you are ready."

Ryan shook his head determinedly. "No, I… I need to do this now. I want to." He set off again and the two vampires followed, flanking him on either side protectively.

They stepped off the main path and wound their way along a little track towards the newest grave, at the end of the row. The plain headstone read simply:

JENNIFER JAMESON

1979 ~ 2010

Ryan's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the bold lettering. Taking the flowers, he laid them just in front of the headstone before reaching into his pocket to remove the little ornament he had chosen with Esme the day before. He held the brightly coloured ceramic sunshine momentarily in his hands, looking at the laughing face on it and running a finger along one of the smooth wavy rays that surrounded it. As he laid it on top of the grave, the watching vampires noticed the slight tremor in his hands and then unexpectedly the walls crashed down. Tears streamed from the boy's eyes and his shoulders shook in silent grief. Carlisle folded his arms around Ryan and pulled him close, resting his chin on top of his head as the boy sobbed. They could only stand and listen as the grief stricken child buried his face in Carlisle's coat and miserably declared, "I want my mom."

,,,

Paulie watched the guy at the end of the bar down another shot and shook his head slightly. Early afternoon and the guy was already hammered. He sighed as the man turned his bleary gaze on him.

"Gimme another."

"Listen, maybe you had enough for one day, huh buddy?" said Paulie, trying to keep his tone light.

The man's lip curled. "I said give me another fucking drink you dumb fuck," he snarled.

Paulie shrugged and poured the bourbon. Wasn't worth the aggravation of arguing. The boss would be here soon; let him deal with throwing out this bum if he wanted to.

Carl took the drink and downed it, barely tasting the burning liquid. _Fucking self-righteous prick of a barman. What the fuck was the point in having a fucking bar if the dumb shit wasn't going to serve drinks? _He dropped the empty glass back on the surface and watched as it rolled round in a circle, reflecting on the past couple of weeks.

It hadn't taken the police long to come knocking at the door after Jennifer's body was identified. After seeing what the house was being used for, they'd whisked away the other two girls and promptly stationed a cop outside, waiting for him to return. Thank fuck he hadn't used his real ID when he rented the place, and with its isolated location there were no nosy neighbours to give a description. But now his business was finished and he had to start all over again.

Could have been worse, he supposed, least he'd been out at the time of the raid. He'd been on his way back from Washington State at the time; after getting rid of her piece of shit kid. He flicked the glass with his finger, setting it rolling again, and thought about the boy. _Good job the little fucker died in the woods_, he laughed, _'cause if I ever get my hands on him again, I'll make him pay good. Real good._

* * *

Ah, nothing like a lot of tears and heartache washed down with a hefty dose of threat. *Chuckles* As always, reviews are devoured with delight! X_  
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	18. Chapter 18

_Thank you again for the lovely reviews; it's most gratifying to know people are sticking with this story. I'm amazed at how much time and trouble people put into their comments, and occasionally a little overwhelmed! I hope that any failure to meet your expectations does not disappoint too greatly._

* * *

Time passed and wounds began to heal. Carlisle promised Ryan that anytime he wanted to re-visit his mother's grave, he only had to say the word and they would take him. Esme also suggested he might like to help turn a corner of the garden into a small memorial area, with some brightly coloured flowers and maybe an ornament or lantern, and the two spent many quiet moments together working here.

The time came for Ryan to return to school, which he did with some trepidation, hating the idea that everyone knew his personal background, but to his tremendous relief, no one said anything other than 'welcome back'.

The group he spent his days with was starting to feel comfortable and familiar, and he enjoyed the routine of the lessons. There were three other students with whom he mainly worked: Amy, Becky and Steve.

Amy was a bubbly, vivacious girl with large owl-like eyes that danced behind the enormous glasses she wore. She had missed most of last year at school due to her frequent visits for chemotherapy followed by the inevitable bouts of nausea. The leukaemia had been in remission for three months now and, rather than repeat an entire year, she had been given the option of trying to catch up with some intensive study in the unit. She felt very pleased with this option and was working hard to make up for lost credits. There were only two downsides to this arrangement: One was she only saw her other friends during lunch break and in one or two classes. The other was she hardly ever caught a glimpse of Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen! He turned her knees to jelly whenever he glanced in her direction, and his hair! If ever she got to run her fingers through that wild array of bronzeness she would surely die of happiness right there and then. She'd been intrigued to discover that the new boy, Ryan, was also living with the Cullens. Maybe when he stopped being so shy and withdrawn, he could give her all the low down on Edward.

Becky was Amy's close friend. She was a naturally shy girl who had become progressively more timid the further through school she went. Eventually it reached the stage where she was spending most of Sunday in the grip of panic attacks over the impending Monday morning and so her parents had withdrawn her entirely for a while. With some intensive counselling, she had eventually begun to overcome her terror, although at first it was an ordeal for her to just visit the building for ten minutes after all the students had gone home. Her friendship with Amy had helped immensely, for Becky felt safe around the more dominant girl and was quite happy to linger in her friend's shadow, emerging now and then to comment. Amy found that actually Becky had quite a sharp sense of humour and she encouraged her wit. Becky felt sympathy for the new boy, Ryan. He too seemed painfully shy, and who wouldn't be, living amongst the god-like Cullens and Hales. Becky was certain she would never leave her room at all if she lived surrounded by such perfection.

The final student was Steve. Steve, real name Borislav Antonov, had arrived from Bulgaria, with his parents a few months ago. His father worked at an international shipping firm based in Port Angeles and was in charge of imports and exports to Europe. It was a tremendous career promotion for the man and one that his wife supported wholeheartedly. Boris, however, had been less than enthusiastic. Everything here was horribly different: The food, the climate, the complete lack of friends, and above all the language. Even the alphabet was unfamiliar at first. He hated it all. Much to his parents' distress, he had refused point blank to be known as Boris and now insisted on being called Steve outside of the family home. His parents knew that he was going through a hard time and didn't press the issue. They just hoped that once he got to grips with the language a little and maybe made a few friends, then things wouldn't seem quite so bleak for him. And so Steve found himself in the same education unit as Ryan, where he had intensive language work every day and an assistant to help him with the lessons he needed to cover. He'd been rather pleased to see that the new student was male, having been stuck listening to Amy and Becky giggling together for so long. Maybe, if the boy ever actually said more than two words, they could be friends.

The class were currently focused on studying the impact of the Oregon Trail on the population of Washington, and were spending much of their time researching different online data bases and other reference materials. Ryan found that it helped a great deal to have his thoughts so fully occupied for much of the day, and the subject matter itself was proving quite interesting. In fact, despite their perfect 4.0 grade averages, the other Cullens often found their time at school to be considerably more problematic than their human sibling did. Let's consider a typical day:

7.50am First Period: English Literature with Mr Mason.

Edward, as was his habit, made his way swiftly to the back of the classroom, selecting a seat at the desk in the furthest corner and spreading his books over the entire surface to put off anyone who might choose to sit next to him. In reality, there was only ever one student who seemed oblivious to his predatory nature: Jessica Stanley.

Ever since the unfortunate encounter in the supermarket, Jessica had been patiently biding her time; wondering if Edward's mom was really serious about grounding him for so long. If his mother was anything like her own, she would have stuck to the rules for about a week and then given in to the constant rounds of complaining, silences and tearfulness. Not that Edward was likely to have resorted to crying; Jessica couldn't ever imagine him showing such weakness, but surely he wouldn't have meekly accepted such a harsh punishment. Would he?

She checked her appearance once more in the mirror inside her locker and hurried along to the English room. Fixing her most seductive smile on her face, she entered the classroom and sashayed up to the back of the room, selecting the desk closest to Edward. As usual he was studiously engrossed in his notes and didn't appear to have noticed her arrival. No matter; she had two things in her favour today. One, her best friend who usually sat next to her was away, and two, Mr Mason had mentioned that today they would be working in pairs to discuss the characters in the book they were studying. Jessica could barely keep the grin off her face, knowing that Edward would have no choice but to work with her.

Mr Mason passed out the work packs, noting that two of the students seemed without partners. Jessica glanced across at Edward and was surprised to see him glaring at Mr Mason's back in a murderous fashion. The teacher chose that moment to turn round, just as Edward began to gather his books together.

"Mr Cullen, you can partner Miss Stanley for this session."

Jessica's heart sang with joy as she smiled coyly at Edward, trying not to notice how he perched on the seat next to her, leaning as far away as possible. He was probably just a little shy and wondering how to make the first move. Well by the end of the lesson he was going to feel completely at ease in her company and might even summon up the courage to ask her to a movie or something on Saturday. She would probably… no, definitely, allow him to kiss her goodnight at the end of their date and then he would probably go straight home to log in on Twitter just so he could send her romantic direct messages… no! Not romantic… _sexy_ direct messages!

As Jessica happily day-dreamed her future, Edward clenched his fists under the table and wished fervently that he could just transform into a bat and flutter silently out of the window. The next hour was going to be torturously long.

8.52am Second Period: Chemistry with Mrs Bruce

Alice found chemistry to be her least favourite of all the subjects she was forced to endure at High School. The subject matter itself bored her senseless; why would she care what the atomic weight of hydrogen was? And worse than that was the appalling smell of the chemicals which seemed to cling to every fibre of her clothing. Usually it was arranged that Jasper would share a fairly identical timetable to Alice, but this year Jasper was determined to try and manage a couple of lessons by himself, and had selected his favourite; history, which unfortunately clashed with chemistry.

Alice's lab partner was a very nervous student named Katy. She was a smart girl who really loved the sciences and had high hopes of pursuing the subject at a much higher level, however, her lab partner this year made her very nervous indeed. She seemed to have some very peculiar habits. Quite often she would sit and stare off into the distance for a few moments, completely ignoring anything Katy was saying, and then come to and resume their conversation as if nothing had happened. Katy half wondered if the girl was having mild epileptic episodes but felt that Alice's doctor father would surely know if that were the case. Worst of all was when the practical work began, and Katy could feel those odd eyes boring into her, watching her every move. Then her hands would begin to shake and her heart would pound in her ears and she would start to spill chemicals or knock over test-tubes. Alice always seemed to expect her clumsiness too, for she would sigh a little and discretely move her chair away right before it happened which only served to make Katy think she must look like a total klutz from the outside.

Today they were supposed to be testing the reactivity of different elements in acid, alkali and water. The chemicals were all lined up in their little jars and the test-tubes of liquid sat patiently in the racks. Alice surveyed the equipment with great distaste. More bad smells to infect her hair and clothing! She allowed her thoughts to drift to Jasper and followed the various visions of him passing the day without incident. She gave a small smile and turned her attention to the lesson.

"Which shall we do first?" she asked brightly. "Acid, alkali or water?"

Katy felt her stomach do a little flip. "Umm, the… the acid?"

Alice pushed the first jar towards her. "You put the chemicals in, we'll watch and then I'll write our answers on the sheet."

Carefully Katy unscrewed the jar and dipped her spatula into the zinc and broke off a small piece.

"Wait!"

Katy's hand shook as Alice barked her order and she watched as the little dark haired girl moved the rack of test-tubes two inches to the left and stared at them for a moment.

"There," she smiled, "Go ahead."

Nervously she moved the zinc to the first test-tube and dropped it in. They tested the gas given off to confirm it was hydrogen and concluded that the solution was now zinc chloride. Alice completed the results chart and they moved on to the next element.

The lesson continued in this manner for a while with Alice becoming increasingly bored at having to wait for the actual reactions to take place before she could fill out the sheet. So bored was she, that she allowed her thoughts to leave the lesson entirely and drift back to her beloved Jasper.

He'd promised some kind of surprise for her that night and had sternly forbidden her from peeking into the future. Alice remained true to her promise, but that didn't stop her from happily daydreaming about what the surprise might be. Maybe it was a shopping spree at Tiffany's… she laughed softly to herself, much to the consternation of Katy, who could see nothing remotely funny about the lesson.

Perhaps if Alice hadn't been quite so lost in her thoughts, she would have foreseen Adam rushing past to grab a cloth to mop up the bottle of hydrochloric acid he was about to knock over. She might also have seen him bump into Katy in his haste to get the cloth. She might then have seen the extra large lump of potassium being dropped into the tube of water and therefore been prepared to leap out of the way as the chemical reacted violently, fizzing up the tube in a ball of flame and spraying particles of potassium hydroxide into the air. But in her blissful state of dreaminess she saw none of this… until it actually happened.

Katy dropped the spatula in alarm and jumped back from the table, away from the explosive mixture, pulling Alice with her. Mrs Bruce saw what was happening and quickly smothered the tube with a protective metal cover, before turning to remind Katy that only tiny amounts of the chemicals were supposed to be used. She had barely opened her mouth to speak when Alice reacted.

"Look at it, look at my sweater!" she shrieked.

The students all turned to watch Alice, some nervously, some giggling wondering what the strange little girl was going to do next. Mrs Bruce, fearing Alice had burned herself with the chemical, moved over to the girl to see what was wrong.

"Alice, what is it? Did you get something on your sweater?"

Alice stared horrified as the millions of microscopic particles of potassium hydroxide speckled the sleeves of her sweater, bleaching the fibres instantly.

"It's all over me," she announced, holding her arms rigidly in front of her.

Mrs Bruce examined the sleeves but could see nothing amiss.

"I can't see where you mean, dear," she said kindly. "Where did it go?"

Alice painstakingly pointed out every dot. "There, there, there, there…"

Mrs Bruce watched bemused, there was absolutely nothing to be seen; Alice's sweater looked exactly the same as before. She frowned a little; was this some kind of practical joke concocted by the entire class?

Alice looked up at the teacher with incredulity. How could the woman not see that her sweater was practically dissolving in front of her eyes? It was ruined, oh and the _smell_!

Mrs Bruce glanced at the other students, though they all seemed equally bemused.

"Perhaps, Alice, if you feel you've got something on your sweater, you might want to go to the restroom and try and sponge it off or something. But really, I can't see any… " She came to an abrupt halt as the full force of an Alice Cullen glare bore down on her, and watched helplessly as the angry girl marched out of the classroom.

_I'm going home to change, Edward. Keep an eye on Jasper for me, I'll be back in a while._

Edward smiled to himself listening to his sister, and allowed his thoughts to seek out Jasper.

9.59am Third Period: French with Mrs Heppenstall

Rosalie and Emmett's one stipulation for having to endure High School was that they have a near identical timetable. This was usually arranged by Jasper via the school computer system before the Cullens began, and so it was this year. Neither of them particularly hated attending school, but they did enjoy the fact that they got to spend pretty much all day together, murmuring sweet nothings and passing rather more descriptive notes to one another.

They both spoke French fluently, and had in fact visited France twice already as a favourite honeymoon venue for their many marriage renewals. Mrs Heppenstall regularly praised them both for their proficiency although Carlisle had reminded them a few times not to be too perfect for fear of drawing attention.

Today the class were engaged in devising simple conversations between people meeting for the first time. The task was to find out one or two details about the new person and then arrange to meet another time. Armed with an array of dictionaries and vocabulary sheets, the students got to work. Emmett and Rosalie sat apparently not speaking to one another, although plenty was going on below the range of human hearing. Mrs Heppenstall frowned.

"Rosalie, Emmett, s'il vous plaît prêter attention à la leçon," she admonished. "Please, get on with the activity."

Rose and Emmett sighed and began to jot down a few notes.

After twenty minutes, Mrs Heppenstall called the class to attention and explained that they were now going to perform their prepared dialogues to the class. She reminded them to work hard on their accents and to try and speak with realistic expression. If they really wanted to, they could also mime a few appropriate actions. She looked around at the waiting pairs and decided to set the bar high. Rosalie and Emmett were called upon.

Rosalie sat in her chair, pretending to sip a coffee, as Emmett sauntered over from the other side of the room. He paused and suddenly knelt in front of Rosalie, much to the class's amusement.

"Rosalie, ma chérie, où as-tu été toute ma vie?"

Rosalie tossed her curls provocatively and ran a manicured finger along Emmett's jaw line.

"Bonjour beau," she cooed, "Maintenant que vous m'avez trouvé, que comptez-vous faire avec moi?"

The class were all agog, wondering indeed what Emmett planned to do, now that he had found Rosalie.

Emmett sat on the seat next to Rose and took her hand.

"D'abord, mon petit chat sexy, je vais le faire." He began to run a trail of kisses along Rosalie's arm until he reached her neck.

"Et puis je vais le faire." He softly traced the outline of her lips with one finger, as Rosalie parted her lips and licked the digit.

There was silence throughout the classroom; Mrs Heppenstall appeared to have lost the power of speech. Having successfully caught Rosalie's attention, Casanova Cullen prepared to get her to come back to his place.

"J'habite pas loin," continued Emmett. "Pourriez-vous revenir à ma place?"

Rosalie smirked. "Et ce qui se passera à votre place?" she asked coyly.

Emmett reached forward and casually pulled at one of the ribbon fastenings on Rosalie's shirt.

"A ma place, nous allons boire du vin, et la danse, et puis baiser toute la nuit."

The mention of sexual activity broke the trance Mrs Heppenstall was in and she leapt to her feet.

"That's quite enough!" she snapped. "You're both dismissed from class, and I intend to speak with your parents about this."

Emmett and Rose got up, trying not to laugh, and left the room. Hopefully Carlisle and Esme would see the funny side too… hopefully.

11.01am Fourth Period: Math with Mr Varner

Jasper had wanted to skip class and head home to be with Alice as soon as he heard about the chemistry incident, but Edward persuaded him that Alice was planning to return very soon and was completely unharmed. He headed to his usual table at the back of the class and prepared for another mind-numbing lesson of boredom.

Mr Varner was currently focussing the class's attention on applying their math skills to everyday situations. He had prepared a selection of problems for the students to solve in order to highlight any areas of weakness, although he doubted that a certain member of his class would have any difficulty at all. He wasn't sure exactly how much Mr Hale had been home-tutored but he was clearly in advance of his peer group. He'd taken to double checking his own notes before delivering a class for he always had the nagging suspicion that Jasper might actually know more than he did, and dreaded making an error in front of him, although so far the boy had always just sat quietly completing the work.

Jasper opened the booklets of questions and scanned the first page, simultaneously calculating the answers mentally.

_One answer every one point four minutes should even it out nicely for the hour__,_ he thought, wishing that Alice was by his side, or at least in the building so that he could feel her presence.

The first question was a simple numerical problem: 7(43-15)(squared) - 3[24(squared) + 1241]

Jasper neatly wrote 37 in the answer space, and paused to wait until a suitable time had elapsed before he could begin the next question. _Thirty-seven; that was roughly the percentage of American citizens who were eligible to donate blood._ He mused on this fact for a moment and then glanced at the next question.

You have a journey of 176 miles to do in a 55mph zone. You set off at 9am and need to arrive by 1pm for a meeting. Allowing 6 minutes to find a parking space at your destination, how long can you stop for a break during your journey?

Jasper glanced at his fellow students and frowned slightly. _Why were half of them struggling? It really was a very simple question._ He tapped a few keys on the calculator, even though he already had the solution, before writing 42 minutes in the answer space.

_Forty-two__; that was roughly the maximum number of days hospitals could store red blood cells for._

He felt a vague flicker of heat in his throat and swallowed the venom which had gathered.

He filled in the next three questions and then sat gazing at the question paper as if deep in thought. In truth he was contemplating his evening with Alice. Edward had assured him there had been no sign in Alice's thoughts that morning that she knew what Jasper had planned, so hopefully, tonight would come as a delightful surprise to her. He smiled softly to himself, reflecting again on how much he loved Alice.

Time to solve another problem. He studied the question briefly.

3x(squared) – 4y = 681

x(squared) + 2y = 382

He pretended to jot a few notes down before writing down x = 17, y = 46.5

He studied the answers.

_Seventeen; the youngest age at which someone could begin donating blood._ His eyes darkened slightly at that thought.

_Forty-six point five; the number of gallons of delicious, warm, red blood a human could donate if they began at age 17 and donated every 56 days until the age of 79._

In his mind, 46.5 gallons of blood danced in barrels, each with his name printed on the side in big bold lettering. He watched as humans lined up to fill the barrels, all happily waving at him as they emptied their blood into the dancing barrels. Jasper smiled and let his eyes flick across the bowed heads of his fellow students.

There was a loud knock at the door and Edward strode in, glaring straight at Jasper.

"Excuse me, Mr Varner, I have a note from my Father. Jasper and I have dental appointments, please may he be excused?"

Mr Varner took the forged note and nodded.

Shame-facedly Jasper shoved his belongings into his bag and followed Edward out of the room.

Mr Varner was surprised to hear a sudden metallic clang as the classroom door closed. He wondered if maybe a clock had fallen off the wall outside or something.

Jasper rubbed the back of his head where Edward's hand had just connected with it.

"I wasn't going to do anything," he hissed.

Edward frowned. "I'm not taking any chances. If you spoil Alice's evening because we all have to pack up and move, she will kill us both."

When Ryan arrived in the lunch hall, he was surprised to notice that only Rosalie and Emmett were there, as he collected his tray and joined them.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

Rose and Emmett looked at one another sheepishly and shrugged.

"Probably doing a little extra study somewhere," said Rosalie. She smiled. "So, how was _your_ morning Ryan?"

* * *

_All credit to Mr Google for providing the French, though I fear he doesn't speak it quite as fluently as Rose and Emmett would. Sorry for being so slow with the updates; work is a little hectic at the moment and I have less time to devote to the things I love, i.e. Twilight *sighs*. I promise that I _do_ have the entire story planned out and it will be completed... eventually! As always, reviews are much appreciated._


	19. Chapter 19

Thank you for the lovely reviews and for being so patient with the sloooow updates. A little mushy slushiness now in readiness for nastier things to come.

* * *

It was early November and already some of the higher mountains were covered in a layer of pure white snow, making them seem a lot closer than they actually were. The forest trees had long since shed their leaves and the ground lay covered in a carpet of rotting browns and yellows and oranges. Animals were gorging on the last of the summer fruits and greenery in readiness for the long hard months of winter, and many creatures had already secreted themselves away in underground burrows to sleep through the coming cold.

For one creature at least, the coming winter and its lack of food was no longer an issue. The large male elk gave one last shudder and sank to the floor as its knees buckled. Its eyes dimmed and the rising vapour from its open mouth gradually dwindled to a mere wisp as its body temperature cooled in the crisp morning air.

Edward drank his fill, savouring the warmth as it soothed the thirst in his throat. He hadn't hunted for over two weeks and the burn had become very uncomfortable these past few days. He relaxed as he felt it diminish to the dull ache he was used to, and continued to drink even though he'd had his fill; shame to waste any. His thoughts turned to the upcoming birthday preparations.

It was exactly four days until Ryan's sixteenth birthday, much to the excitement of the Cullens. Such a milestone was cause indeed for celebration. Edward chuckled as he recalled Ryan's face when he'd found out that they were planning a small party for him. Edward wondered why the boy couldn't see that having something as new and exciting as a human birthday to celebrate was a tremendously exciting thing for them, and far too good an opportunity to pass up, simply because Ryan didn't want a fuss making.

Carlisle had of course toned down the initial plans quite considerably, and they had finally agreed on a small informal celebration at the house, with a couple of Ryan's classmates, a cake, gifts of course and maybe a few video games or a movie. This was all still mind-blowingly over the top for Ryan, but the seven pairs of golden eyes which stared at him pleadingly proved irresistible, and so he'd conceded.

Amy, Becky and Steve were all quite astounded to receive the invitations; Amy and Becky because they knew it was unheard of for anyone to get invited to the Cullens, and Steve because, well because it was unheard of for him to get invited anywhere. They all accepted the invites, relieved to discover that Dr Cullen would pick them up from their houses, as it was a little tricky finding the way to the Cullen house.

Jessica kicked herself for not taking the opportunity to become best friends with Ryan, but it was too late now. _Although_, she thought, _maybe if I work on him for next year…_

The morning of November 10th dawned, cloaked in a heavy blanket of fog, as seven very impatient vampires waited excitedly for the human to wake. It wasn't as if they never celebrated events themselves, far from it. Rosalie and Emmett had already notched up four weddings alone, and Christmas always saw the Cullen house festooned with fairy lights and an enormous Christmas tree dominating the lounge. But when events such as these could continue indefinitely, they somehow lost their magic a little. For humans, every second was important for it could never be recaptured, never repeated. Ryan would only turn sixteen once and they were all determined to make it a memorable occasion.

The barely audible creak of a floorboard upstairs signalled his awakening and they all grinned at each other eagerly.

Ryan emerged from the shower and looked at the new clothes laid out on his chair. They most definitely had not been there the night before, and the big silver ribbon on top, along with the card, indicated they were intended as his birthday present. He examined them carefully and selected the jeans, simple white t-shirt and the grey Hugo Boss hoodie which fit like a dream. It was amazing how nice, clean clothes always made him feel so good, he thought, as he admired the ensemble in the mirror. It was something he was sure he'd never tire of; being clean and looking smart.

He opened the card, already having guessed who was behind the clothing gift:

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN_

_Lots of love_

_Rosalie & Alice_

_XXXXX_

Ryan paused at the door to his room feeling partly nervous but mostly excited about the day ahead.

**H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y !**

The voices rang out from his family, who were all gathered at the bottom of the stairs, beaming up at him, making him feel very self-conscious indeed, although he couldn't stop the wide grin which was now plastered across his face.

"Thanks guys, and thanks for the clothes." He turned to Alice and Rose. Alice clapped her hands in glee and moved across to neaten the hood and tug on the sleeve a little, checking that everything fit as she had planned.

"Breakfast first and then you can open your presents," beamed Esme, ushering him towards the kitchen.

Ryan's eyes widened at the prospect of more presents. He'd thought the clothes were it but there was no time to dwell on the matter any longer as the birthday breakfast came into view. Birthday feast would be a more accurate term, for Esme and Carlisle had prepared as complete an array of delectable items as you could imagine. There was crispy bacon accompanied by a bowl of mushrooms grilled in butter and some juicy red tomatoes. On another plate was a stack of fluffy warm pancakes all ready for their toppings; maple syrup, chocolate sauce or fresh raspberries. And to wash it all down, a large jug of freshly squeezed orange juice. Ryan's eyes boggled.

"You don't have to eat it all," chuckled Carlisle, "We just thought it would be nice to have something a little special for once."

Ryan slid into his seat, eyeing the spread before him. The smell alone was tantalising enough.

"This, this is out of this world," he whispered, and couldn't help laughing a little as he speared a couple of rashers of bacon onto his plate.

The Cullens left him alone to enjoy his birthday breakfast, and ran through the arrangements for the day once more. Carlisle and Ryan were going to collect the three human guests at 4pm and bring them back to the house. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were going to make themselves scarce so as not to overwhelm the humans. They planned on retreating to Emmett and Rosalie's attic room where Rose had a three hour manicure and pedicure planned, and the two boys were going to devote themselves fully to the amazing games system up there.

Some suitable party snacks had been prepared for Ryan and his friends and there was a selection of video games and movies to keep them entertained. Edward and Alice would be on hand in order to keep an eye on thoughts and any untoward events which might occur.

It was anticipated that the three would be taken home at around eight o'clock as they all had school the next day.

Ryan felt as if his stomach would explode if he ate any more, as he eyed the remaining food regretfully. Emmett was waiting to pounce as soon as the knife and fork were laid to rest.

"Finally!" he exclaimed. "Come on, present time!"

"Don't rush him," admonished Rosalie, smacking her husband's arm, though truth be told she was as keen as her mate to watch Ryan open his other gifts.

The presents made a neat pile on the sofa as Ryan was led over, Emmett weaving in front to pick up the top one. He handed it to Ryan, grinning like a child.

"Mine first!" He stepped back, tapping his fingertips together impatiently, wishing Ryan would just rip it open already.

Ryan looked at the blue shiny paper before carefully undoing the sellotaped ends. It contained a small box which, as he examined it, caused a broad smile to spread across his face.

"Thanks Emm, this is just perfect. I just finished the last one."

He carefully placed the Nintendo game on the sofa next to him. It was a harder version of one he had already played, and he was really looking forward to tackling the new puzzles.

Edward nodded encouragingly as Ryan picked up the next gift and looked at the label – Jasper and Edward. He grinned at them both, already guessing what the parcel contained from the feel of it. As the paper was removed, he saw to his delight three large tomes jam-packed with information. One was a history of Washington, which would prove invaluable to his school work, another a nature book and finally one on astronomy, which Ryan had begun to show a keen interest in after Carlisle pointed out some constellations one clear night a few weeks ago.

"Thanks guys, these are really cool."

Jasper put an arm round Alice's shoulders and squeezed gently. The books hadn't cost a fortune but there was something tremendously satisfying in seeing how well they were received.

Everyone was on tenterhooks as Ryan reached for the last present; a rather large, heavy box from Esme and Carlisle. Ryan beamed in genuine excitement as he carefully undid the paper. His breath caught in his throat as he stared in wonder at the gift; a telescope for viewing the night sky.

"We can set it up on the lawn when the fog clears if you like," offered Carlisle. "Your friends might enjoy…" He broke off in consternation as Ryan's breath hitched. Esme flew to the sofa.

"Ryan, what's wrong?"

Overcome with emotion, Ryan swiped roughly at his eyes.

"It's lovely, I can't tell you how lovely this is," he croaked. "I just never expected something so amazing… a whole telescope!" He grinned wildly. "I'll be able to see as good as you guys now!"

Everyone laughed and Esme pulled him into a hug.

"You'll see better than us," said Edward. "You can see the planets quite clearly and the moon will look amazing."

Ryan fingered his gifts silently. "This is so cool," he murmured, almost to himself.

The day passed smoothly with Ryan spending most of it absorbed with his new gifts. The kitchen became a hive of activity as the party food was prepared; a selection of pizzas, little spicy sausages, salad sticks with dips, and a range of potato chips to nibble on. There was the birthday cake too, but that was being kept well out of sight so as to be a surprise.

At around 3.30pm, Carlisle and Ryan set off in the car to collect the others. Carlisle glanced across now and then and was pleased to notice the satisfied smile fixed on Ryan's face; the boy was having a very good day. They soon rounded up the friends who were all very excited and curious to see where the Cullens lived.

Steve was quite fascinated with the interior of the car. Carlisle noticed him trying to see the dashboard of the vehicle and planned to let the boy sit up front on the way back. Maybe he was a bit of a motor enthusiast. Becky sat watching out of the window as the trees flashed past. She was just glad Amy was there, and planned to stick to her like glue. Amy was agog with everything and chattered non-stop to Carlisle who chuckled to himself as he answered her questions; Did he like Forks? Did he know Dr Barram who she saw regularly? Did he know Ryan was working really hard at school (at which point Ryan visibly shrank with embarrassment) and would Edward be there this afternoon, oh and the others too?

An awed hush descended on the car as the house came into view and Carlisle pulled up outside.

"Well, here we are," he said jovially. "You must all just feel completely at home here and please don't be afraid to ask if you need anything."

Esme was standing by the door ready to greet them.

"Welcome, all of you," she beamed as she ushered them in. Becky thought she was quite the loveliest, kindest woman she'd ever seen and immediately felt safe and relaxed.

"Ryan, why don't you show your friends around and then you can all feed," suggested Esme.

"Have something to eat," corrected Carlisle, with a glance at his wife who twisted her mouth a little at her unusual wording, but fortunately no one appeared to notice.

Amy tugged at Ryan's sleeve, laughing. "Come on Ry, let's see if you tidied your room or not."

Ryan couldn't help but feel mighty proud as he led the way upstairs. Friends who wanted to celebrate his birthday, and who looked to him as the host. This was perfect. Amy jumped to sit on his bed and thrust out her gift to him.

"Let's do presents up here," she said. "Your parents won't mind, will they?"

Ryan smiled and shook his head. "No, they won't mind, but you didn't have to get me anything; I really didn't expect you to."

Amy rolled her eyes. "It's a birthday, duh! Of course you get presents. Go on, open it."

Ryan unwrapped the small package eagerly and grinned at the contents; a dark leather wrist cuff fastened by several thin leather thongs.

"Thank you," he beamed as she took it back and began fastening it to his wrist.

"There," she said triumphantly. "Now you look just like…" she paused, "Now you look very cool."

Ryan admired it, thinking that yes, it did look pretty cool.

Becky held out her gift apologetically.

"I kept the receipt," she said, "so you can take it back. It's not very good, I should have got something else, I'm sorry." So caught up was she in her apologies that she hadn't even noticed Ryan unwrap the gift and finger the miniature bottles of aftershave delightedly.

"Becky, this is perfect," he said. "I actually don't have any aftershave."

"Oooh, hot stuff now Ry," snickered Amy, as she took one of the bottles to smell. They were all opened and carefully passed around amid an animated discussion about which ones were good, or fresh, or just plain sexy. Ryan and Steve laughed as Amy insisted they should each put some on. Becky felt thrilled that her gift was so well received and suddenly felt a surge of confidence in herself.

Ryan hadn't been kidding when he said he had no aftershave. Aside from the fact that he barely needed to shave yet, it was something the Cullens, none of whom used perfume or aftershave of any kind, had thought to get him. Ryan planned to use a little now and then, and maybe he should shave a little more often too, now that he was sixteen.

Steve held out his gift.

"I didn't know if is good, but pictures look funny," he said.

Ryan's eyes lit up as he pulled off the paper from a large colourful book, titled "1001 Freaky Facts". The front was a large hologram image of a man whose eyes bulged very oddly as the picture was tilted.

"Oh that's cool!" enthused Ryan, flipping through the first few pages. "Thanks Steve!"

"Welcome," smiled Steve. He'd gotten the same book a few months ago and had been intrigued by the weird and wonderful stories within, and had correctly guessed that Ryan would be similarly fascinated.

The four made their way downstairs, Ryan carrying the book to show. Edward and Alice were just carrying some food through from the kitchen as Amy locked her gaze on him, sighing just a little. Edward in all his bronze-haired, graceful, manly glory! Edward calmly placed the food on the table scrutinising her thoughts. _Was this another Jessica, or just a girl with the usual interest in his appearance? _He decided to take no chances and murmured his plan to Alice.

"Alice, may I borrow your cell phone?" he asked loudly. "Mine's out of credit. I'll pay you back."

Alice looked at her brother with an air of sisterly suspicion. "What's so urgent, Edward?" she asked.

Edward sighed loudly, his mind closely following Amy's thoughts to ensure she was paying attention. "Valeska had some music exams today and I promised I'd text her."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Honestly Edward, you and that Valeska! I've never seen a couple so loved up."

Edward held out his hand triumphantly for the cell phone, as he heard Amy thinking _Ugh, a girlfriend! I might have known. Obviously someone as totally gorge as him would be taken._

Steve's ears pricked up at the name, Valeska. A bit old-fashioned but a common enough name from home. He murmured to Ryan.

"Is Valeska Bulgarian?"

Ryan shook his head; still a little puzzled that Valeska had exams. He couldn't imagine her even having lessons, not with those eyes. "No, she's Russian."

Steve grinned as Edward finished sending a nonsense text to a very surprised Jasper.

"Russian? She must speak English good to you."

Edward looked up and smiled, recognising some of the Bulgarian words that were flashing through Steve's mind.

"She speaks English very well, although she's taught me a lot of Russian too."

With exaggerated slowness and stumbling deliberately, Edward said in broken Russian, "Hello, my name Edward. Do you enjoy party?"

Steve who had learned Russian as part of his school curriculum since the age of seven, beamed with delight and answered Edward smoothly and clearly.

The other humans listened fascinated as Steve and Edward conversed, partly because of the strange tongue but mainly because none of them had ever seen Steve be so animated before. Amy saw the young man through new eyes, noting his lovely white smile and the cute way his eyebrows went up and down as he spoke.

"How you learn Russian so well?" asked Steve. "You're really… like normal Russian person."

Edward smiled, hoping he hadn't been a little too fluent. "Just lots of practise talking to her on Skype," he said. "The more you practise, the easier it gets, although it's hard and rather embarrassing at first."

"See," said Amy, linking arms with Steve. "You talk to us and you're English will be great in no time. You can start by sitting with us from now on at lunch time."

Edward and Alice glanced at each other at this unexpected outcome. It seemed Amy now had a new much more suitable focus for her attentions, and by the look on his face, her attention was being very well received.

Late afternoon turned to evening as the teens played video games and watched a movie, whilst constantly grazing on the snack food. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie gradually filtered back into the party since the humans seemed so at ease in the Cullen house. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and Edward struck up on the piano. As everyone joined in singing Happy Birthday, Esme appeared carrying the birthday cake, lit with sixteen candles.

Ryan's eyes positively sparkled with delight as he looked at the beautiful cake, decorated in blue and white iced swirls, with his name written in big blue letters surrounded by the candles.

"Make a wish!" Urged Alice, grinning, "But don't say what it is, or it won't come true."

Ryan thought for a moment, looking at the faces around him in the candle light; his new friends, Edward and the others, Carlisle and Esme; all watching him with such love, and knew exactly what his deepest wish would be. With a huge breath, he blew out all the candles in one go, amidst a round of applause.

Ryan lay in bed that night, reflecting on the day's events as he studied the astronomy book. What an unbelievable day it had been, packed solid with loveliness from start to finish. He yawned as he turned the page and rubbed his head a little. His eyes felt strangely achy though he really didn't want to go to sleep just yet. Turning over another page he pulled the duvet a little higher and massaged his temple absentmindedly. He couldn't wait till tomorrow night, he thought sleepily. Alice had said the sky would be clear; perfect for setting up the telescope. He laughed a little to himself that maybe the Cullens would point out where they came from. How cool would _that_ be!

* * *

Awww, now who doesn't wish they could have a Cullen birthday party too? Please leave a review or 10, they feed my imagination! :)


	20. Chapter 20

Thank you for the continued support and lovely reviews. Each and every one of them really means a lot to me! Well I guess you had a couple of feel good chapters… better buckle up, the ride's about to get a little bumpy…

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A faint blue light outlined the edge of the curtains as the night sky showed the first signs of giving way to dawn. Ryan cracked open one eye and immediately clamped it shut again as a wave of nausea hit him. His entire head felt like it was trapped in a steel vice which at any second threatened to crush his skull. Tentatively he placed his hands on either side of his head, like someone cradling a live grenade, and sat up.

The room lurched and pounded at him in a horrendous manner as he swung his feet to the floor. Through the overwhelming pain he kept his thoughts focused on one thing – Carlisle. If he could get to Carlisle, he would make it stop.

Slowly he made his way to the door and stepped out into the hallway. He had no idea if Carlisle would even be home; would _any_ of them be home? He supposed they mostly went off to hunt animals at night though they never discussed it directly with him, and of course sometimes Carlisle had work at the hospital… He reached the top of the stairs; maybe there were painkillers somewhere in the kitchen, or the bathroom, or… There was a sudden soft breeze at his side and Esme appeared looking very worried.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Are you ill?"

Her cold hand touched his shoulder and instinctively he rested his aching head against it.

"It hurts," he whispered. "My head hurts… my eyes…"

Seeing the pain he was in, Esme placed her hand soothingly on his forehead as she escorted him back to bed.

"I know it hurts, honey, but you just hop back into bed and I will bring you something to remove the pain."

She vanished to his bathroom and returned a second later with a cold, wet towel which she pressed across his aching head. Ryan immediately pulled it a little lower so that his eyes were in complete darkness.

Carlisle was on duty at the hospital that night, but there was a basic supply of first aid items in his study; things he had brought home when Ryan had first come to live with them. She reached for her cell phone and began dialling Carlisle's number, hoping that he wasn't busy with a patient.

"Esme? Is everything alright?" Carlisle's worried tone sent a wave of relief through Esme.

"Carlisle," she breathed. "Thank goodness! It's Ryan."

In his office at the hospital, Carlisle sat bolt upright, fearing the worst.

"What is it? What's happened?"

"It's his head," she replied. "He seems to be in awful pain. I'm in the study and I have the medical kit, but I wanted to check with you first."

Carlisle sat back in his seat; a simple headache, not a matter of life or death.

"Has he been sick at all?"

"No," replied Esme. "It's just the pain in his head, and he keeps wanting to cover his eyes from the light."

Carlisle nodded to himself. "Maybe the result of over-excitement today, and a little too much blue icing." He smiled. "I'm sure some paracetamol will help ease the immediate pain. There should be a pack in the first aid kit. Just give him two and encourage him to drink as much water as possible. It may be that he is a little dehydrated. My shift finishes in an hour, so I'll be able to see how he is doing when I come home."

Esme had already retrieved the items before her husband had even finished speaking and was headed back to Ryan's room where he sat in bed, clutching the towel, his forearm protectively shielding his eyes. Esme sat carefully on the edge of the bed.

"I brought you something for the pain, sweetheart," she said softly, holding out the two capsules and a glass of water.

Ryan peeked out just long enough to locate the medication, gulping down the pills with the water, before hiding behind his arm again.

"Too bright?" asked Esme, before clicking off the bedside lamp, still able to see the boy perfectly clearly in the darkness.

Ryan merely nodded as Esme moved to sit alongside him, placing one arm around his shoulder and the other hand coolly across his brow. The small moan of relief that escaped his lips encouraged her, and she drew him closer so that his head was resting on her shoulder.

When Carlisle arrived home he found the two still sitting this way. Ryan had managed to slip back into a restless sleep, the cold of Esme's hand combined with the tablets taking the edge off the intense pain he was feeling. Carlisle smiled at Esme and silently kissed her head, not wanting to disturb the boy. He murmured to his wife.

"How has he been?"

Esme glanced at the sleeping boy. "Very restless. It was a while before he fell asleep." She looked up worried. "You don't think the party food was bad, do you? I'll never forgive myself if I've made him ill." She suddenly clutched a hand to her mouth. "The other children! Oh Carlisle, what if they're all sick too? We'll have to leave and …"

Carlisle held up a hand to stem the flood of panic. "Esme, Esme, the other children are all fine. I'm more than certain there was nothing amiss with the food you prepared. At most he maybe ate a little too many sugary things but nothing more serious than that. When he wakes I'll ascertain if he has a history of headaches like these so that we can be prepared if it should happen again."

He kissed his wife again, who appeared somewhat mollified by his soothing words, though not yet entirely convinced.

The morning passed uneventfully with Ryan dozing on and off. The headache had subsided considerably though the pain behind his eyes remained quite intense; like two red hot needles stabbing directly into them from the back of each socket. All he wanted was darkness; icy cold, soothing darkness. During his waking moments he idly fantasised about being able to prise off the top of his skull and sprinkle cold droplets of water all over his brain, which he was sure was pressing tightly against the inside of his head, like the roots of some wilted pot-bound plant. Carlisle correctly assessed from Ryan's description, that the pain was indeed more than just an ordinary headache and more cognisant of a migraine, which, although intensely more painful, would pass with time.

It was late afternoon when Emmett stuck his head round the door. Ryan had been awake for about an hour, reporting that the pain in his left eye had now all but vanished, though he still kept the cool cloth across his eyes. Esme had gone downstairs to prepare a small snack for him, leaving Carlisle to keep the boy company. He was occupied with telling Ryan some of the tales from Greek mythology; a result of having seen the boy glued to an old version of Jason and the Argonauts on television a few days previously.

"How's the patient?" Emmett's mischievous voice brought a smile to Ryan's lips.

"I'm okay, just don't like the light right now."

Emmett grinned. "Can't stand the light? Dude, you're more of a vampire than we are!"

You could have heard a pin drop.

Carlisle glared at Emmett who visibly cringed. How could he have been so stupid? After all these months, all the care everyone had taken to keep their true identity hidden. How could he have blabbed so foolishly? Carlisle watched Ryan cautiously, who was laying very still and quiet. There was no doubt that he had heard Emmett though; the fingers nervously working into intricate knots bore testimony to that.

"Vampire?" There was another pause before a hand crept up and lifted the corner of the cloth slightly. A wary eye studied Emmett's face.

"You're… vampires?"

In Ryan's mind it was like the cogs to some giant ancient mechanism slowly turning and one by one clicking into place to release the lid to Pandora's box. Suddenly everything made sense: The cold skin, the pale complexion, the phenomenal speed and strength... the blood. The remaining pain he felt was all but forgotten as he turned to look at Carlisle; the man he had come to know and love and trust.

"Is it true? Are you?"

Carlisle nodded. "It is." He wrinkled his nose slightly. "I suppose you can understand why we didn't use that word. It conjures up all sorts of images, doesn't it."

Ryan pictured the fanged monsters of movies; dark creatures of the night, rising from their ancient coffins to plague the human population.

Carlisle braced himself for the questions.

"Well you don't seem like most vampires," began Ryan.

Emmett opened his mouth to jokingly ask just how many vampires Ryan knew, but was silenced by another look from Carlisle.

"Go on."

"You don't have fangs, unless…" He paused, noting that he'd never actually seen them bite anything, well, other than Jasper that time. Maybe the fangs came and went, like in the movies. "Do you?"

"No," confirmed Carlisle, "No fangs."

"And you don't sleep in coffins, you go out in the daytime, you don't turn into bats…" Ryan was on a roll causing an involuntary smile to creep onto Carlisle's face.

"No coffins, no shrivelling up in sunlight, and definitely no bats. I'm afraid most of what people think they know is pure mythology; legends. Besides, no one these days would genuinely entertain the notion of our existence anyway. We're simply the stuff of horror movies."

Ryan let out a big breath. He looked at Carlisle again.

"Are you really vampires; you're not just pulling my leg?"

Carlisle laughed softly. "Was it easier to believe we were aliens?"

Ryan went a deep shade of scarlet, for that was _exactly_ what he'd thought up till now.

Emmett grinned. "Don't be embarrassed kid; that was a pretty smart guess."

The two vampires watched the boy as he absorbed everything. Would they be acceptable to him, now that he knew what they were? Would his fear be too great to allow him to comfortably remain under their care? Emmett mentally kicked himself several more times for good measure. He adored having Ryan around and now his stupid big mouth might well have ruined everything.

Ryan suddenly sat bolt upright. "But this means you were normal people like me at one time!"

Emmett laughed, sensing that perhaps the moment of crisis had passed. "Don't know if I could ever be classed as normal, kid," he said.

"How did… did you… is it like…" Ryan's mind whirled as he wondered if the part about being bitten on the neck was true. "Did you get bitten by another vampire? Is that how you all became one?"

"Yes," replied Carlisle matter-of-factly, hoping that Ryan wouldn't press for details. "But that was all a very long time ago."

"Does anyone else on this whole planet know about you?"

Carlisle smiled and pondered the question. "It's possible, I suppose, though if they do, then they, like you, are very good at keeping the secret."

Ryan's thoughts returned to the most obvious aspect of vampirism again.

"How many vampires are there in the world?"

"I'm not sure," replied Carlisle. "Why do you ask?"

The words came out as a statement. "I don't suppose they all feed on animal blood, do they."

"No, unfortunately not," replied Carlisle honestly.

"So how come people don't know about you? I mean, if you woke up with two holes in your neck, surely you'd know something was up."

Carlisle chuckled. "No fangs remember? Also, unlike in the movies, when our kind feed it isn't just a few mouthfuls. It's more… complete than that."

Ryan paused, deciphering the meaning. "Oh. No survivors to tell then."

Emmett reached out and gently ruffled Ryan's hair. "Don't worry, no one's going to get to you buddy. They'd have to go through me first." He puffed his chest out a little, to confirm the impossibility of such an event.

Carlisle looked at Ryan again. "How do you feel? About all this I mean."

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. It's hard to think of you as vampires now. I mean, you're all just still you. I can't get my head round thinking of you any other way."

"Then don't try," offered Carlisle. "I would hate for you to suddenly be fearful around us. That," he glanced at Emmett, "would be very disheartening indeed."

Ryan frowned and chewed on his lower lip a little. "So… am I still allowed to stay here?" He asked, his fingers surreptitiously crossing as he wrinkled his nose a little in anticipation of rejection.

Carlisle's eyes widened.

"Well of course you can still stay. You're part of this family; this doesn't change anything at all." He waited until he had Ryan's full attention before continuing.

"Just because you have a different label for us, doesn't alter anything. We won't behave any differently and neither should you, okay?"

Ryan nodded, relieved that he hadn't lost his home or new family.

"So," Emmett folded his arms, confidence returning. "You know everything there is to know about us, but…"

Ryan wondered where this was going.

"…Come on Ry! Time to spill the beans. You _have_ to tell us how you got all the way from Gresham to the Olympic forest; it's been bugging us ever since you first got here."

Tact was never Emmett's strong point, but Carlisle held off, wondering if his son's directness might just nudge Ryan into revealing the missing pieces of their jigsaw puzzle. The boy's lips moved a little as if words wanted to come out. Downstairs, five other vampires sat in eager silence. Would he finally reveal everything?

"You already know what sort of place I lived in before," began Ryan. "I guess you only know about me and my mom though."

He hesitated a little as unwelcome images of Carl flashed into his mind. Even in his thoughts, the man had the power to terrify him. He was more of a monster than the Cullens could ever be. He drew his knees up under the covers and tucked the duvet under his chin. His fingers sought out Blue and kneaded it rhythmically as he began his story.

Ryan cringed in the corner, trying to make himself appear as small as possible. He could hear Carl raging in the hallway and his terror spiked at every thump of a fist against the wall.

"Fucking bitch! Fucking useless whore cunt bitch!"

Carl was screaming in such fury that flecks of saliva trailed at the corners of his mouth as he paced like a crazed animal.

Ryan guessed that one of the women had stepped out of line in some way, but knew for sure that whoever it was, was unlikely to receive more than a few slaps and some unveiled threats. Carl never liked to damage the goods; it was bad for business. Clients didn't want to see a swollen face or have cut lips sucking on their dicks. No, when things went wrong for Carl, it was Ryan's job to take the fallout. He hugged himself more tightly than ever as he listened to a heavy boot repeatedly stomping into the drywall and tried not to cry. The beatings were so much worse if he cried.

There was sudden silence from the hallway which frightened Ryan more than anything. Silence was never good. Silence meant someone was thinking… planning… coming. Quickly he thrust Blue deep into his pocket for protection and watched the door, awaiting the inevitable.

The bang as Carl's boot hit the door sent shockwaves into the room, causing every overwrought nerve in Ryan's body to jangle. To the frightened boy the man appeared as a giant, filling the doorway, anger and hatred oozing from every pore. He stalked across the room and grabbed a fistful of Ryan's hair, yanking him to his feet. Pain tore across his scalp as he instinctively put his hands up to make Carl let go; a move he soon regretted as the left side of his face went numb.

It took a few long seconds before the ringing in his ears stopped and the room ceased spinning enough for him to focus on Carl.

"Got your attention? Good!"

The cruel fingers left his hair and transferred to Ryan's throat, constricting just enough to make breathing difficult, causing the familiar claustrophobic terror to swamp the boy's mind.

"I got news for you, you little shit." Each word was accompanied by a rhythmic thump of Ryan's head against the wall, as if the boy's attention was in danger of wandering.

"Your whore of a mother? She's dead."

Ryan hated when Carl used those words to describe his mom. He knew what she did; what all the women did – he wasn't stupid – but it didn't make her a whore. She was loving and kind and when she smiled it made his whole world light up. She wasn't a whore. The fingers squeezed a little tighter as Carl continued to rant. Mom must have done something really bad for Carl to threaten to kill her like this.

A litany of prayers began to struggle through Ryan's panic stricken mind: Please don't let him hurt mom, please don't let him hurt her.

Carl watched as Ryan's face went through ever deepening shades of red. He loved knowing that Ryan could never tell if this was the day he would die or not. Maybe he should go all the way this time; choke the life out of the snivelling bastard. He sure as fuck wasn't going to keep him around now that his bitch mother had got herself killed. Stupid whore.

Ryan felt the rough fingers release their grip and he sagged against the wall, gasping for air. Reprieve was short lived as the hand grabbed at his sweater and pulled him stumbling towards the door.

"Move it!"

The barked order propelled Ryan to follow, heedless of the pain as his shoulder hit the door frame on the way out. When Carl told you to do something, no wasn't an option.

As Ryan made his way down the hallway, half stumbling, half being dragged, he noticed one of the other girls peeping through a tiny gap in the door; her dark eyes wide and terrified as she watched helplessly. Ryan didn't even know her name yet; she'd only been there a few weeks and barely spoke. All he knew was that she was from another country, most likely Russia since the other Russian girl seemed to talk softly to her a lot of the time. New arrivals were kept in their rooms for the first few months. After that, they didn't seem to want to leave. Perhaps Carl always selected the cowardly ones, just like Ryan; ones who didn't have the guts to just get up and walk away. Ryan wished with all his heart and soul that he could find that courage, for him and his mom. But every day that passed found them both still there, hoping that maybe tomorrow something would change. Something had changed alright. His mom hadn't come home, not for a few days now. Maybe she'd finally got up the nerve to leave; maybe that's why Carl was so mad. Ryan hoped she had gone, even if she hadn't taken him along; at least she was safe now.

His attention returned to Carl as he felt himself dragged out into the sunlight. He must be in for a hell of a beating if Carl was going to do it outside where he had more room. Silently, the boy begged that maybe he would just get knocked unconscious and it would all be over quickly.

Carl yanked Ryan across to his car and popped the trunk, launching the boy against the side of the vehicle.

"Get in!"

Ryan stared horrified at the tiny cramped space, already half taken up with old tyres and some fast food garbage. He hesitated, bile rising in his throat. He couldn't do it, he couldn't get in. The trunk would be slammed shut… dark… no air… no space…

"I said, get the fuck IN!" Each word was punctuated by fists raining down on his back and head. Still Ryan stood there, frozen, unable to make himself move towards his worst fear. Beatings were nothing compared to this.

"Fuck's sake!" Carl snarled and lifted the boy bodily, launching him roughly into the trunk before slamming shut the lid. He stormed round to the driver's side and got in, making the car shake with the force of his actions. He loathed the boy in the trunk, blamed him for every piece of shitty bad luck he'd ever had. Yet deep within the blackened core of Carl's conscience there remained one shred of morality. He couldn't bring himself to commit cold blooded murder. Was it truly morality, or mere cowardice? Either way, Carl planned to drop the boy so far from civilisation that nature could take its course and do the job for him.

It reminded him of that time when he'd been staying with his grandparents down on their farm. He must have been a kid of around seven at the time and was used to getting dumped there regularly so that his parents could get on with more important things like having fun. There was a lovely dog that used to sleep out in the yard, Bess they called her, real friendly thing. Carl used to sit and pet her for hours, talking to her, telling her stories. That particular summer Bess had a belly full of pups. Carl had watched fascinated that early morning as one by one the tiny blind creatures slithered into the world, all covered in slime and making tiny mewling noises. One by one grandpa had removed them from the corner Bess was lying in and taken them to a large metal pot half full of water. Carl watched curiously as the puppies were placed inside and the lid firmly secured. The little muffled mewling noises seemed to get more and more frantic which puzzled the boy.

"Why are they making that noise, grandpa?" he'd asked.

His grandpa had laughed roughly. "Just singing on their way to heaven is all, boy."

As Carl spun the car out of the driveway he doubted very much that Ryan was singing.

Ryan clenched his eyes tightly shut and tried to stay as still as possible. If he didn't move he wouldn't feel the boundaries of the cramped space he was trapped in; he could pretend he was just in bed, lying safely under a blanket. He knew it never worked.

Carl drove steadily through the outskirts of Gresham and then hit the open road, heading north. His foot ground savagely at the gas pedal; sooner he disposed of his baggage the better.

The heat in the trunk of the car was stifling, filling the atmosphere with fumes of oily rags and rotten food. Despite his best efforts, Ryan's panic was now beginning to bubble through with a vengeance. Summoning every ounce of strength in his battered body, he pushed up and out against the solid metal frame which entombed him. Nothing gave. The absolute certainty that he could not escape, could not stretch his legs, could not turn over, caused the child to whimper in terror. Buried alive. He was buried alive and would surely, slowly, suffocate to death. His muscles screamed to be allowed to change position but try as he might, he couldn't move more than a few centimetres. He wished with all his heart that he could just die quickly.

Carl looked at the fuel gauge. _Fuck, less than a quarter tank left._ He scanned the road ahead, looking for a place where he could pull over and lay down a few rules in privacy.

Ryan felt the car suddenly swerve to the right, and heard the crunchy gravelly sound of the wheels coming to a harsh stop. The engine was cut and a door could be heard slamming. This was it; this was where he was to die. He'd expected to feel relief at the thought but oddly fresh tears sprang to his eyes unbidden; the instinct for survival overriding the need to not be terrified any longer. The lid of the trunk sprang up and blissful gusts of fresh air filled his lungs. Blinking rapidly at the sudden daylight he took in the form of the man sneering down at him.

_Pathetic, just pathetic._ Carl curled his lip at the crumpled mess that was currently wedged between a couple of old tyres and a heap of junk. _Place suits him, should have made him sleep here all the time 'stead of using up valuable space in the house._ Carl laughed. _Little fucker was crying; what a pansy._

"How you doing, kid? Enjoying the trip? We should have done this a long time ago; nice long man to man road trip to bond over." His laugh was harsh and cruel. "Thing is, I gotta get some gas at the next station. So, here's the dealio. You shut the fuck up and lay real still in there, and in return I let you come out of there for some fresh air now and then. 'Course, if that's not what you want then maybe I'll just shut the trunk and let this old car roll right into a lake here and now." He tipped his head, looking at the boy with disgust. "So, do we got a deal?"

Ryan nodded dumbly.

"Good. Now you can have a five minute break." He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up, watching Ryan as the boy struggled to untangle himself from the car.

Ryan wanted nothing more than to get out of the car, even if it was only for five minutes, but his body wouldn't cooperate. The cramped muscles didn't seem to want to move fast enough, and everything ached so much. Struggling, he managed to heave himself upright and stumbled out onto the ground. He desperately wanted to know where Carl was taking him; was the threat about the lake going to be reality? Would he eventually just dump the car so that water slowly seeped into the trunk, swirling into every nook and cranny; creeping higher and higher past his chin, his mouth, his nose. Ryan fleetingly wondered if he could make a run for it, but knew his muscles weren't capable of taking him away at more than a snail's pace. He managed to pull himself upright, massaging some life back into his limbs.

Carl dropped the butt onto the floor and ground it with his boot. "Time's up, kid. Back you go, or do I have to throw you in again?"

Obediently Ryan climbed back into the trunk, managing to lie in a position where he could at least stretch his legs out and where there was space in front of his face.

The trunk began to close. "Now remember what I said; no movement, no noise." The trunk slammed shut and Ryan was once more encased in darkness.

Hours passed, though Ryan had no way of gauging the passing time. It might have been an hour or so, it might have been days for all he knew. They had stopped at the gas station as promised; he could hear the gas sloshing into the tank and could smell the nauseating fumes all around. His throat was desperate to have something to drink and the fumes had worsened his headache to a solid pounding that jarred with every bump the car ran over. Surprisingly, Carl had allowed him out of the car a few times since then though for nothing more than a brief five minute stretch of his legs. Ryan lay miserably as the miles passed by, feeling thoroughly defeated.

Carl threw the empty soda can to one side where the last few drops of fluid leaked out and bled into the fabric of the seat, taking their place with the assorted stains that already resided there. He stared blankly at the section of tarmac ahead which was illuminated by his headlights. They'd left the highway an hour ago, just outside of Olympia, heading North West, and already the scenery had changed dramatically. Forests loomed on either side of the road, dense and dark, and he hadn't passed another vehicle for at least twenty miles. Perfect.

Ryan's body rolled slightly as the car made a sharp turn and was then jolted roughly, thumping his head several times as the vehicle lurched over rough ground. The tyres next to him shifted a little, pinching and nipping at some of the skin through his thin sweater. The engine was silenced and the familiar sound of the door opening and slamming shut came to his ears; time for another short reprieve from the trunk. The lid of the trunk opened revealing it to be night time.

"Out."

The routine was established now as Ryan stiffly forced himself to clamber out of the trunk and stand tensing and flexing his muscles, trying to get life back into them. Carl stood watching, a slight smile on his face. This was it. Now he could start over, find a new place, get a fresh set of whores and get the money coming in. Carl was firmly convinced that life owed him, and he didn't care who got destroyed in his desire to get what he wanted.

"Let me ask you something, Ryan," he spat the name like it was something obscene, "Do you want to stay out of the trunk?"

Ryan knew that this probably meant the beating was coming but nodded dumbly anyway. It had to come eventually.

Carl snorted a laugh. "Off you go then." He nodded towards the silent forest.

Ryan glanced nervously from the trees to Carl, confused. He didn't know what game Carl had planned but something felt very, very wrong. Carl's hand slid to his jacket pocket and drew something out. There was an audible click and a long blade gleamed in what light there was from the watching moon. Ryan felt a sick lurch in the pit of his stomach.

"Let me spell it out for you, fucker. I'm giving you ten minutes head start to run; after that I'm coming for you, and when I catch you I'm going to slice pieces off you one bit at a time until I've stripped you down to the bare bones." He laughed at the look of horror on Ryan's face.

Ryan stumbled back a little, away from the blade. He knew it was true. Carl was capable of limitless evil and would stoop at nothing. He imagined the tip of that blade being slowly inserted just under the skin before being moved back and forth in a sawing motion, lifting tiny pieces of flesh away while he screamed and screamed and screamed. He backed further before turning sharply and heading blindly into the darkness.

"Ten minutes!" Carl's gleeful voice rang in his ears as he forced his legs to cooperate; blood thundering in his ears as adrenalin propelled his body onwards, heedless of the thousands of branches which tore at him as he passed.

The listening Cullens, despite all their collective centuries of experience, had never before heard a tale of such savage cruelty. Even Rosalie and Esme, both themselves victims at the hands of men, felt that their experiences paled into insignificance compared to what Ryan had suffered.

Ryan glanced at Carlisle, who had his arm wrapped protectively around the boy as if to shield him from the memories.

"I just kept running and running, so I suppose he never managed to find me. I think I was probably on the move for a couple of days when," he paused, "You know, Jasper…" He tailed off with a little shrug.

Carlisle's mind was working overtime. They had to establish the whereabouts of this Carl as soon as possible. Not that there was any danger he could get remotely close enough to Ryan to ever harm a hair on his head again. Carlisle had seen thousands of injustices over the centuries; from humans as well as vampires, but this story had him seething with rage. He understood fully, perhaps for the first time, what Edward had felt when he had gone off on his own so many decades ago. The temptation to mete out his own form of justice burned deep as he held the boy.

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Please please review and tell me what you think! :)


	21. Chapter 21

_Thank you for your patience and sticking with the story. I'm thrilled that there are still new people adding it to their story alerts and favourites. (Whispers - How about you add a little review at the end too! X)_

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The Cullens had been a frenzy of activity following Ryan's revelations. Jasper and Emmett had tracked along all of the smaller roads which bordered the Olympic Forest from the south to see if there were any hints of where Ryan might have last seen Carl. Of course it was a fruitless search. Ryan himself had barely any scent and what little there was from his clothing had long since been destroyed by the elements. Carl of course they knew nothing of to begin with. Carlisle hypothesised that it was unlikely Carl ever intended to make good on his threats to Ryan. It made no sense; why bother to drive so far if he simply wanted the boy dead? There were plenty of other places on the way where a body could disappear. No, he suspected, correctly, that Carl simply wanted to ensure that Ryan was so terrified of being caught that he would run as deep into the forest as he possibly could. It wouldn't take long for a young boy like that to succumb to the cold and wet, or perhaps, stumbling blindly in the dark, he would catch his foot and tumble, hitting his head hard, become unconscious. There was also the distinct possibility of falling prey to some predatory carnivore who decides to take its chances against the unfamiliar creature. More and more Carlisle thanked whatever higher power it was that sought to lead Jasper to that particular deer that day.

Edward and Alice had made their way back to Gresham, to Ryan's old home, if you could call it that, but again without much hope of finding anything. They were already aware that the police had raided the place in the days after Jennifer's death and so doubted very much that Carl would be there. As feared the place was in the process of being completely gutted and renovated by the owner who was determined to keep a much closer eye on any future tenants, after this brush with the authorities.

All in all it was decided that Carl must have assumed that Ryan had met his end in the forest somewhere, his remains gradually decomposing far from human discovery. As to Carl's whereabouts, they didn't much care, feeling it likely that he would have returned to the familiarity of Oregon and gone about whatever heinous business he decided to establish next.

Ryan felt a little weird in the aftermath of recent events. Not physically of course, the migraine ran its course and by later on that same evening he felt completely well again. No, it felt weird in his head. He knew all there was to know about the Cullens and they, in turn, knew everything about him. He wasn't sure how he felt about either of those things. Vampires, vampires; no matter how many times he let the word roll around his mind, it didn't make it any more real. He supposed that, at the end of the day, the label wasn't important. They'd been vampires from the moment he'd met them. Vampires had given him a safe home, fed him, clothed him, joked with him, made him feel valued. No, it really didn't matter what they _were, _it was what they did which counted, and he for one felt nothing but gratitude towards them. How did he feel about them knowing every sordid detail of his life? In a way, that was harder to deal with. He had dreaded their disgust or even worse, their pity, but fortunately, aside from a few muttered threats from Emmett about what he'd like to do to Carl if he ever got hold of him, the Cullens had continued to treat him as normal. Ryan hoped that maybe, with time, both revelations would fade into the background and things would just continue as before.

His return to school was heralded with jokes about him being 'hung over' after his birthday which made him blush with happy pride. It was pretty cool to have friends who were close enough to tease him.

Excitement was building in class about the forthcoming trip to Seattle. The excitement wasn't over Seattle of course; most of them had already been at some time or other. No, it was the prospect of fighting for the prized back row of the bus, making lewd gestures at the passing traffic and for some, a chance to really work their magic on the object of their desire, knowing he or she was trapped on the bus with them for several hours. For Ryan though, the excitement _was_ about Seattle.

Rosalie read the information letter again with a frown.

"It's so unfair!" She exclaimed. "Sophomores get to go on all the best trips." Her pout became more pronounced as Emmett placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Well it's true! What did we get? A lousy half hour visit to a stupid greenhouse to learn about compost. How dull is that?"

Carlisle, who was listening, chuckled. "Rosalie, you can go to Seattle any time you wish. In fact, you can pretty much go any place in the world any time you wish."

"Carlisle, that's not the point." Rosalie wasn't quite sure what the point was exactly but it still seemed unfair that the further up high school they went, the more tedious and pointless the trips got.

The visit was planned as a culmination to the history class's studies that term. They would be visiting the Museum of History and Industry where several workshops had been planned by the museum curators to bring the history of the city to life for the students. In the afternoon they would be heading across town to the Space Needle for a spectacular panoramic view of the city before returning to Forks in the evening. Ryan was thrilled at the prospect of going up to the observation platform and was desperate to know if the weather would be clear that day. Alice laughingly told him just to be patient and wait to find out like all the other students. In truth she really had tried to see if it would be sunny that day in Seattle, but try as she might, she couldn't seem to get a vision of Ryan up on the viewing platform. Maybe it was because the Cullens themselves weren't involved in the trip; her visions of Ryan always came much more easily if one or other of them was also involved.

_Ah well_, she thought, _if she _had_ seen the weather would be bad, it might spoil his anticipation of the visit anyway. Perhaps it was best not to know. _

4.45am

The morning of December 2nd dawned icy cold and clear. Ryan sprang out of bed well before his alarm went off, showering and dressing at top speed as though his actions could somehow make time move more quickly. He checked through his backpack for the umpteenth time: Notebook, pens, camera, money. Just his lunch to add in and he was good to go. He looked out of the window, wiping the steam off periodically as his breath fogged up the glass. It was still dark out but the layer of white frost on the ground was clearly visible. He shrugged, not really caring any more as the giddy excitement of the impending coach journey overtook him.

Esme drove him to school as the students were due to set off at 6am; far earlier than the other Cullens needed to arrive. Steve was already there, blowing on his hands and stamping his feet now and then.

"Have a lovely day, Ryan," beamed Esme, unsure as to whether she could get away with leaning across and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. On reflection Ryan would probably curl up with embarrassment so she made do with a gentle squeeze of his shoulder. As Ryan joined his friend, she turned the car out of the parking lot, smiling and nodding to one or two of the other parents whose eye she caught. It wasn't often that she or Carlisle were seen at school though she was familiar with some of the faces from her various trips to the stores in town. One face in particular she noted was Mrs Stanley who was dropping off her youngest daughter, and tried hard not to let her polite smile slip into outright laughter as she remembered the encounter with Edward and Jessica at the supermarket. Her thoughts returned to Ryan as she headed down the road towards home. How he had changed since that day. He'd only just arrived with them at that point, an exhausted, frightened boy, always so nervous of saying or doing the wrong thing. They understood why now, of course. Why people like Carl existed was beyond her comprehension; what turned an innocent newborn baby into a sadistic monster? She shook her head a little as she turned off onto the long winding driveway to the Cullen house; it was all quite beyond her. Thank goodness that part of Ryan's life was at an end.

5.52am

Steve's face lit up as Amy exited her father's car followed closely by Becky. The two girls hurried over to the waiting boys, eager to be the first on the coach to bag the best seats.

"Hello Amy." Steve's grin could not have been any wider. Since Ryan's birthday party, his friendship with Amy had certainly stepped up a gear or two. Last week he had finally plucked up the courage to formally ask her out on a date - a movie followed by pizza – and had been utterly thrilled when she said yes. As he headed out to meet her that Saturday night, his parents had both heaved a sigh of relief. Finally their son had something to smile about!

As the doors to the coach swung open, Amy was first up the steps, towing Steve along behind her, making a beeline for the back seat with Ryan and Becky following along. The journey was scheduled to take just over three hours and Mr Hanna, the head of the history department, who had organised the visit, hoped that by the time they passed Port Angeles, half the students would be asleep. Certainly that's what _he_ had planned for himself.

The miles sped by and the initial atmosphere of giddy excitement subsided into relaxed comfortableness as the early start began to take its toll. Amy and Becky had both brought several magazines with them and spent much of the journey putting Ryan and Steve through a whole host of quizzes. By the time they neared Seattle, both boys knew which character from Harry Potter they most resembled, which dance suited their personality and whether or not they were good lovers. (The answers to the latter were of course highly exaggerated and completely fictitious). As the coach reached the outskirts of the city, Ryan fell silent and studied the passing scenery with interest.

9.07am

It was just after 9am and the rush hour traffic was beginning to subside. Ryan was thrilled to note that there were only a few clouds in the sky and hoped fervently it remained that way for the afternoon visit to the Space Needle. As the coach pulled into the parking lot outside the museum, Mr Hanna stretched and stood to address the students reminding them of the morning's schedule. They would be taken in small groups to see the museum exhibits as well as taking part in several practical workshops which they were to pay special attention to as enthusiastic participation would help booster any flagging end of term grades. He fixed his eye pointedly on one or two people in particular at this point. They weren't due back on the coach until the 2pm transfer to the Space Needle so were free to explore the museum grounds further, or the vicinity, so long as they were back on the coach by 1.45pm. Stragglers might find themselves remaining on the bus while the others went up to the viewing platform. The students sat patiently as he rambled on, before filing off the coach excitedly.

The students were greeted by the museum curator, who handed out guides to the museum and the schedules for the different groups. Ryan's group was going to be examining some of the historical artefacts showing technological developments in the salmon processing industry which had been very important to the area in the early 1900s. Even the most reticent among them was soon captivated by the information the tour guide gave, particularly in reference to the World's Fair which was held in Seattle in 1909. He regaled them with stories not only of the award winning salmon processing mechanism but with more lurid tales. Ryan listened with fascination that a month old orphan named Ernest was actually raffled as a prize during the exhibition. Astonishingly, although someone drew the winning ticket, the prize was never claimed and people are still unsure as to what fate befell poor little Ernest. The girls were aghast at this story, stunned that such a thing could have been considered acceptable a mere century ago.

The exhibitions were full of black and white photos of ordinary people going about their business. Men loaded salmon onto the docks, school children standing in orderly rows partaking in exercises, a family portrait of the president of Builders Brick Company. Ryan studied their faces trying to imagine the Cullens dressing this way. Now that he thought about it, he realised he'd never seen any photos of them at home. He would have to ask Edward if there were any; it would be quite funny seeing them all dressed in old-fashioned clothes.

11.32am

With minds reeling from all the information they'd been given, the friends headed down to browse the souvenir shop. The shelves were stocked with the usual gaudy array of pencils, erasers, notebooks and such, all stamped with the image of the museum.

"Steve, try this!" called Amy excitedly, holding out a 1920s feather headband from the historically themed clothing selection. Dutifully Steve wedged the item on his head to the amusement of the others.

"I'm going to get one. I love the nineteen twenties. Such a romantic era," she breathed, and began studying the different ones on sale.

"What are you getting, Ryan?" asked Becky.

Ryan looked around feeling a little overwhelmed. "I don't know," he said. He'd never bought anything for the Cullens before but was determined to ignore Esme's order to "Spend this on yourself" as she'd handed him some money that morning. He really wanted to get something for Esme and Carlisle but didn't have a clue what they might like. Stationery seemed a bit childish, and clearly the souvenir boxes of cookies would be totally inappropriate. In the end he selected a book called Bygone Seattle, which was chock full of the photos he'd seen earlier. It might trigger a few conversations about their early life together if nothing else. Satisfied he also selected some pens and a notepad for himself along with a box of retro candy containing items such as BB Bats, Chuckles and Sugar Daddy Pops. He figured they could share them on the ride home.

11.58am

Armed with their purchases the four made their way out of the museum. According to the plan they'd been given, there was a large park a few blocks away which might make a good place to eat lunch. Although it was cold out the sun shone brightly and none of them wanted to be cooped up indoors any longer. Amy snuck her hand into Steve's who gave it a tiny squeeze of happiness. Becky and Ryan dropped back a few yards, giving the other two a little space. They had become quite adept at recognising the signs that the two love birds wanted to be alone for a while.

There was a playground area in the centre of the park, although at this time of year it was pretty much deserted, the climbing frames and swings slumbering deep in hibernation, awaiting the warmer months and the influx of sticky fingers and scraped knees. Amy jumped onto the merry-go-round, brushing a few soggy leaves out of the way first. Steve grabbed the bars and began propelling it round as fast as he could, despite Amy's delighted screams that she was slipping off. Becky slid onto one of the swing seats, rocking herself back and forth with the toes of her shoes, her arms wrapped around the chains as she studied the floor. Ryan sat on the swing next to her.

"Do you ever wish you could be five again, Ry? Just start over; get it right this time?"

Ryan pondered the question. When he was five he still had his mom, but he also had Carl.

"I don't know," he said eventually. "I miss my mom, but I really like it with the Cullens now." He looked at her, wondering what prompted the question. "What would you change?"

Becky shrugged. "I don't know," she gave a soft laugh. "How about everything?"

Ryan frowned. "Like what?"

"Well, for a start I wish I was more like Amy. You know; bubbly, friendly." She shrugged a little. Comparisons with others were a huge no-no according to her therapist, but sometimes it was very difficult not to get sucked into that kind of mind set.

Ryan looked across to where Amy was giggling as she attempted to walk a straight line, having finally escaped from the merry-go-round.

"But you _are_ friendly," he insisted. "And anyway, if you were as chatty as Amy I don't think I'd like our group as much." He wrinkled his nose a bit at the thought of Amy doubled. Much as he liked her, he found her company exhausting sometimes and couldn't imagine being around someone like that twenty-four seven. "I'm glad you're you," he said, almost to himself. Becky gave a small smile and twisted round on the swing so that the chains began to knot above her head. The crippling self doubt didn't plague her as heavily as it used to, but it was still good to receive a little affirmation from others now and then, just as an extra boost.

"Twist yours," she said, nodding towards his swing. Together they turned round and round until the chains creaked and began to dig into their thighs.

"One… two… three!" They both removed their feet from the floor and were flung round jerking and jolting as the swings unravelled, causing them to burst into laughter.

"You see?" Said Ryan. "You can be five again, anytime you want!"

1.23pm

Between eating their lunches and fooling around in the playground the time past remarkably quickly.

"Come on!" called Becky, worried that they would miss the coach. At the back of her mind she half imagined that the teachers would wait until 1.45pm exactly and then close the doors and drive off regardless of missing students. Or worse, everyone would be on the coach already, impatiently waiting to get to the Space Needle and there would be an awful slow hand clap as the latecomers boarded. Becky thought she would just curl up and die if such a thing happened.

The others picked up the pace a little to keep up with her, when Ryan suddenly stopped dead.

"My bag!"

The others looked at him questioningly, but he'd already turned and was running back towards the park.

"My souvenir bag! I left it next to the sink in the toilets. I'll catch you up!" With that he sped off.

The others looked at each other.

"Maybe we should wait for him?" suggested Becky timidly, even as her face paled at the thought.

Amy glanced at her watch. "I tell you what, we'll carry on to the coach so we can get decent seats together, that way we can save a place for Ryan. The park's not far and he knows it's straight along this road to the coach, he can't get lost."

They continued on, glancing back every couple of minutes to see if Ryan was returning. Hopefully his bag was still where he'd left it; it would be really annoying if someone had stolen it already.

1.40pm

Mr Hanna had already been along the coach once, doing a head count. One or two stragglers had just entered the coach and Amy half stood to see if Ryan was among them. What was keeping him? Mr Hanna frowned. There was always one; why couldn't people just stick to a simple schedule for once. He scanned his list of names briefly.

"Who's missing?" he snapped.

Amy raised her hand. "It's Ryan." Steve pulled out his cell phone and began dialling Ryan's number while Amy explained to an irate Mr Hanna where Ryan had gone. Steve shook his head when they looked at him.

"He's not answering."

1.28pm

Katy gasped as the textbook slid to the floor with a thud. Her lab partner was clutching the side of the table, not breathing, just staring off into space with wild, panic stricken eyes.

"Mrs Bruce! There's something wrong with Alice! She's… she's…" Katy was terrified that Alice was actually having a coronary or something. Time seemed to stand still. Why was the teacher being so slow? Why wasn't she coming to help?

Suddenly Alice stood up, pushing past the teacher. "I have to go," she mumbled vacantly, exiting the classroom before anyone had a chance to comment.

The other Cullens were simultaneously heading for the car park, having been alerted by Edward who had seen Alice's vision at the same time she had. Emmett had his cell phone clamped to his ear, willing Ryan to answer, as Jasper was dialling Carlisle, hoping that the man wasn't in surgery. They had a crisis on their hands.

The body lay motionless on the floor, hair matted with dark sticky blood which was already beginning to congeal in the cold wintry air. With one final glance, Carl turned and fled.

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_Reviews are even better than retro candy! Feed me! I can beg if you like, I'm not proud. XXX_


	22. Chapter 22

Thank you again to everyone who is still reading this story, and especially to those who are brilliant and leave reviews! I try to reply to everyone who does, but a couple of people have accounts where replies to messages aren't possible. So to those I say thank you very much for reviewing; it means a great deal to me. Now on with the story...

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Esme's eyes flickered listlessly to the heart monitor as it beeped again. The sound had become her constant companion these past two days as she'd kept vigil by Ryan's bed, every bleep an accusation that she had done no better than his own mother at ensuring his safety. The boy looked small and vulnerable beneath the stark white linen, the only sign of life being the steady rise and fall of his chest. Esme kneaded the little blue toy in her hands once more and prayed fervently that this time her child would be spared.

His head was swathed in a large bandage which the nurses changed every few hours, and various tubes and wires lead from his body; monitoring, feeding, protecting. The initial surgery had reduced the swelling and pressure on the brain caused by the severe head trauma he had sustained, but Ryan had yet to open his eyes. Comatose but responsive; that had been the diagnosis. The words sounded so cold and impersonal; far too brief to explain the condition of the boy lying next to her. She reached out and held his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb slowly across his knuckles. He felt as cold as she did, and it broke her heart that it wasn't within her power to warm him.

The police report had concluded that it was an unfortunate accident. There was no sign of a struggle, nothing had been stolen. He must have simply missed his footing on the floor, fallen and hit his head. The Cullens knew better. Alice had seen the look of fear on Ryan's face, had heard him gasp the name. Seen as Ryan was grabbed roughly by the lapels and shaken back and forth amid demands to know how he could possibly still be alive. Seen him being roughly pushed away; feet tangling awkwardly with the discarded backpack on the floor. Heard the sickening crack as his head connected with the solid ceramic edge of the washbasin. Seen the darkness descend.

For Carlisle the wait had been agonising, powerless to act until he received word of what had happened from the human world. Every second lasted an eternity. The official call had finally come through via school at 1.57pm as he sat in his office at the hospital, coat on, bag ready. Mrs Mayhew clasped her hand to her mouth in dismay as Doctor Cullen rushed past her announcing that one of his children had been in an accident.

Esme stared at Ryan's face again, willing him to open his eyes. He was breathing unaided and had responded by extending his arm when given a painful stimulus but other than that he was for all intents and purposes asleep. The prognosis? Unknown. Even her husband with all his wealth of knowledge could offer no better. The human body in this locked off state was still a complete mystery to science and all they could do was quite literally watch and wait and pray.

xxx

From the small Seattle apartment, the Cullens were using as a base, Edward stared across the bay, watching the water churning to foamy flecks as grey clouds scudded across the bay. The Space Needle Tower was clearly visible in the distance and he glared at the people who stood peering through the glass windows of the observation deck, angry at the unfairness of the human world. Why was it always the good ones who suffered? Did not Ryan deserve happiness? He should be the one on the viewing platform, gazing out across the city. Edward's fists clenched tightly at his sides as Valeska placed a soothing hand on his shoulder. She had rushed to be with Edward as soon as he'd told her what had happened, knowing how fond Edward had become of the human.

In the corner of the room lay an untouched holdall, surrounded by an invisible barrier of respect. Within, lay Ryan's things: The souvenirs, some information leaflets he'd collected and his clothing, passed on to them by the hospital staff, the collar of the jacket still stained with scentless blood.

Edward thought again to Carlisle's order, that none of them track Carl, despite the fact that his scent was clearly all over Ryan's jacket. He'd insisted that the perpetrator's death would not aid Ryan's recovery and that they were not to sink to that monster's level; that all their focus should be on the boy and not on matters of vengeance. Edward knew that Carlisle's true thoughts were quite different. In his state of agitation, Carlisle had been unable or perhaps just negligent of hiding his thoughts from his son. Edward had seen the agony in his father's mind; the desperate wish that he could switch off his morals for just one hour and make Carl suffer the way he had made Ryan suffer. Edward sighed and pulled Valeska a little closer for comfort, wishing there was some way through all this mess. He glanced at his watch.

"I need to go to the hospital again," he said, turning from the window. "It's been fourteen hours since Esme took a break. If we aren't careful it will arouse suspicion." He folded his arms around Valeska. "Will you be alright here until I return?"

Valeska scoffed with laughter and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Edward, I think I'm quite capable of surviving alone in apartment for few hours!" She frowned. "For first time in my life I wish I had your self control. I want to be with you, Edward, but is just not possible."

Although her experience allowed her to ignore the scent of fresh blood in small doses, the concentrated amount of it inside the hospital would have been quite intolerable to Valeska, and she knew better than to risk going there, even with the aid of the contact lenses she often used when she wanted to slip into human society unnoticed.

Edward smiled. "Just having you around right now is help enough." He pulled on his fleece jacket and prepared to leave. "I love you."

"Of course you do!" chuckled Valeska. "What's not to love?" She kissed him again. "Now, go to your brother, возлюбленный, I will amuse self whilst you are gone."

As Edward hurried to the hospital, Valeska stood in the apartment and pondered. The coven puzzled her greatly. Why did they allow the monster who had hurt their human to go unpunished? She had no qualms at all about seeking vengeance; it would be the normal and correct thing to do. Her eyes flickered to the holdall in the corner and suddenly even the tiny motes of dust swirling in the air seemed to pause their dance as the sound of the zip being undone could be heard. Delicately she picked up a garment and pressed it to her nose; inhaling, memorizing.

xxx

Carl closed his eyes and took another swallow of the drink wishing that the worry which constantly nagged at his brain could be magically washed away by the alcohol. Unfortunately it remained, wheedling into his thoughts like an insatiable maggot. He'd been stunned beyond belief on walking down the steps to be confronted by the boy; the boy who was supposed to have died months ago, and now appeared, large as life right before his eyes. The scotch no longer burned as it flowed easily down Carl's throat to join the many others which had already made the journey that day.

The bar was fairly deserted, save for a couple enjoying the 2 for 1 early evening special and the proprietor who was frowning at the month's accounts, wondering how much of his income he could safely not declare. Carl's face contorted into a brief ugly smile as he remembered Ryan's expression; the look of absolute horror, the momentary paralysis as he'd stood open-mouthed in shock. Pathetic little fucker had tried to run of course, but a firm hand had sent him reeling backwards. Carl wasn't about to let him go without an explanation. That's when the scene turned ugly. Carl took another mouthful of the numbing liquid as he watched Ryan stumble over the bag, an arm flung out sideways in an attempt to right himself, the awkward twist of the body, the dull crack as his skull connected with the sink, the soft sigh as he crumpled to the floor, the slow spread of dark sticky blood. Carl tipped his drink up again; his features rearranging themselves eventually into a frown of puzzlement at the apparent emptiness of the glass. He waggled it at the barman who dutifully refilled it.

Carl's worries as always were purely for himself. He was desperate to know if Ryan was still alive and if so, had the phrase 'attempted murder' been bandied around. Infuriatingly the local news had failed to mention the incident at all, and he felt unable to go checking round the hospitals of course, for fear of arousing suspicion. As he took a mouthful of the new drink he hoped fervently that Ryan was dead.

The sound of the traffic outside was suddenly audible as the door opened. Carl swung his head in that direction and tried to focus his eyes. The new customer moved smoothly to the bar and sat a few stools away from him, ordering a vodka. Carl stared with naked desire, wondering if the woman was a drink induced hallucination. If she was, then he was happy to go along with it. He wondered fleetingly if you could bang a hallucination. As the woman threw back her drink, she turned to look at him, and smiled.

"Buy you 'nother?" Fucking tongue wouldn't form the words properly. Ha! He had a much better use in mind for his tongue with this sweet piece of ass. He would take his time, licking her cunt to savour the perfume of her sex before fucking her hard. He'd bet a whore like her would take it in the ass, nice and tight. He pictured her bent over his bed as he pounded into her. Yeah, he'd have her begging for his thick cock inside her. The woman smiled and moved closer to him.

"That would be very nice," she purred as her tongue slipped along her lower lip.

xxx

Esme frowned at Edward's insistence that she leave for at least a couple of hours. Right now she couldn't give a damn about appearances. Let the whole world know what they were, so what? Edward sighed and kissed his mother gently on top of her head, pulling her into a tight embrace. He knew that in some way, Ryan had been her second chance at having a human child; the son she never got to feed and clothe and see grow all those decades before. And now it looked like she might lose him; it was beyond bearable.

"Esme, I swear to you, if he so much as twitches a muscle I will phone you immediately. Please," he implored, "Carlisle is arranging for the best specialist help there is. We can't jeopardise that by drawing attention to ourselves."

Esme knew he was right. "You promise?"

Edward nodded solemnly.

Esme bent close to Ryan, tucking Blue next to him. "I'm not far, sweetheart," she whispered. "I love you so very much." She paused, looking for some reaction, some recognition of her presence. The monitor beeped steadily; the chest rose and fell. Saddened, she placed a small kiss on his cheek. "Come back to us, Ryan."

xxx

The woman was proving to be surprisingly responsive as Carl worked his charms on her. He'd flattered her by commenting on her tits, bought her two drinks and pawed at her knee in a friendly manner, and now she was clearly begging for it.

"Do you wanna get outta here?" he slurred, winking at her. To his dismay, she rose abruptly, a brief look of distaste crossing her features. Fuck it! Bitch was backing off.

"You have a place we can go?" she asked.

He nearly kicked over his stool in astonishment. "Sure, I gotta place." Without further ado he swayed towards the door and out into the darkness, glancing over his shoulder once to check she was following. Once out on the sidewalk, Carl filled his lungs repeatedly with the frosty night air, hoping it would sober him up enough that he could perform later. Waving at a passing cab, he watched as the woman glided smoothly into the backseat before giving directions to the driver. Geez, he didn't even know her name. Not that he cared; he just wanted to fuck; fuck so hard that his mind would be emptied of everything except pleasure. Yes, he thought as the car sped off, she would be the best thing to happen to him in days.

xxx

Carl threw a couple of notes at the cab driver and led the way to the apartment building he was currently living in. The façade of the building towered above them; windows all identical and anonymous. Most of them were rented, all of them little secret enclaves where no one knew or cared who lived next door as long as they kept the noise down and didn't leave garbage in the hallways. Carl's place was on the seventh floor. Out of the eight apartments there, only his and two others were occupied. That suited him fine. Occasionally, if he'd had a particularly crappy day, he liked to bring home a little something sweet, and he didn't want any nosy neighbours complaining if things got noisy. Sometimes Carl liked to get rough. Sometimes he liked to slap a girl around a little before banging her; it turned him on. He shoved his key in the lock and opened the door, smelling the familiar stale odour of booze and sweat that wafted out to greet them.

"Can I get you a beer or something?" he offered graciously. The woman declined, wandering across to the window which looked across to another equally unremarkable block. Drawing the curtains she turned back to him.

"I didn't come here for drink," she smiled. "I come here for you."

The short cab ride and cold night air seemed to have done the trick, for although his mind felt fuzzy, his cock was happily straining at the fabric of his pants. The woman walked across the room towards him, and ran her fingers across the obvious bulge.

"You like that, huh?" Carl smirked and spread his legs wider, enjoying the firm sensation of her fingers moving up and down his length. There came the tiny sound of a zipper being undone and then the fingers pushed inside his pants, dipping down between his legs to cup his balls.

Carl moaned and pushed his groin closer to her as he plunged his hands into her long, silky blonde hair. Fuck! He thought. Poor bitch was half frozen from the night air. Ah, he'd soon get her hot in all the right places. His fingers grasped savagely at her hair and he opened his mouth to suck hungrily at her lips, savouring the lingering taste of vodka and perfume. Her perfume! Carl had no idea what she was wearing but it must have been some kind of aphrodisiac because even the smell of her made him want to pound inside her. His hands slid down, feeling the swell of her breasts beneath her garments. Grabbing roughly, he pulled her blouse open and jabbed his fingers under the edge of her bra, feeling for the hardened nipple betraying her desire.

Still grasping and fumbling he manoeuvred her to the stained sofa, pulling her down towards him. The woman smiled, her smeared lipstick making a red gash of her mouth, and moved away from him a little. Breathing heavily, Carl stared at her impatiently, telling himself that she was not going to leave this apartment till he got what he wanted. He'd bought her drinks for Christ's sake! With one swift movement she grabbed at the waistband of his pants and yanked them down towards his ankles. A leer of delight spread across his face as he watched the hands return towards his boxers.

Slowly, carefully, she ran a single manicured finger along the length of his cock, lingering at the tip, circling smoothly, before trailing back down to the base again. The sensation of this through the thin fabric of his underwear was quite probably the most erotic thing Carl had ever felt in his entire life. He was powerless, and for once quite happy to be so, as he lay watching her movements, a thin trail of saliva gathering at the corner of his parted lips. The fingers repeated their actions for several tortuous minutes before he felt the fabric being lowered to join his pants, and the soft gust of her cool breath as she lowered herself towards him.

Lips placed cool kisses along his shaft, and he felt the light caresses of her hair as it tickled his thighs and belly. Kisses were too soft though; Carl wanted something much firmer and infinitely wetter surrounding his cock, and he roughly used his hands to pull her head closer to him. He must have been more drunk than he imagined because she didn't move an inch, no matter how hard he pulled. Ah, so what; she was crawling further up his body now, kissing at his stomach, then his chest, then his throat.

Straddling his hips with her thighs, the woman lifted herself up, one hand grasping his erection as she positioned him between her legs. As she lowered herself again, Carl tipped his head back at the exquisite sensation of sliding inside her tight wet pussy. All things considered, he wouldn't mind keeping this piece of ass around for a while; a long while. He could make some good money off of someone who knew what they were doing like she did, with the added bonus of sampling the goods whenever he felt like it. Suddenly his future looked much brighter.

Using her thigh muscles to raise and lower herself, the woman began to set a steady rhythm. Sighing as her long hair dangled across his chest, watching his dirty, sweaty hands as they pawed at her breasts, looking into the eyes which stared back at her in a haze of lust filled wonder.

Carl had felt some tight pussy in his time, but usually he was the one having to do all the work, breaking in a new girl. He winced suddenly as the pressure got a little too tight. Fuck, was her cunt getting smaller? Valeska smiled as she clenched her inner muscles a little more, noting the expression of pain on the man's face. The skin covering his shaft was being stretched to the limit as she manoeuvred her body around him and the look in his eyes told her he wasn't enjoying this quite as much any more. Her fingers reached out and covered his mouth, muffling his cries of protest as she squeezed tighter and tighter.

Carl's eyes widened as he tried to push himself upright to get the woman off him, but it felt like he had a ton weight pressing down on him; he was trapped, unable to move an inch. This wasn't right, not right at all… a strangled cry tried to escape as he felt the skin on his dick tearing in excruciating agony, but the sound came out as nothing more than a garbled moan. His heart felt like it was trying to thump its way through his ribcage as his eyes bulged in terror and the sound of blood roared in his ears as he tried with all his might to escape.

Valeska watched with interest as a red stain swam across Carl's eyes; the result of blood vessels haemorrhaging through strain. His teeth clamped down reflexively on her fingers as his whole body reacted convulsively to the pain, and she heard the minute sounds of fragments of enamel shattering. With one final clench and pull, Valeska lifted herself from Carl's body, leaving his cock exposed to the air and sans skin. His newly released body writhed and thrashed in agony, as she continued to smother his screams.

Bending forward, she whispered in his ear. "You not hurt boy any more, my friend. You not hurt _anybody_ again."

Her free arm rested across his throat, restricting his air supply, bringing an end which, for Carl, could not come soon enough.

xxx

Ryan struggled in vain to see where he was but all was total darkness. A familiar terror struck him as he realised he couldn't move at all, couldn't even turn his head. Where had Carl locked him this time? He tried frantically to remember but it was all a blank. His horrified imagination pictured the tiny coffin like box he must be shut inside; only a matter of time before the air ran out. Far away he thought he heard his mother's voice… _please_… but he wasn't sure. He listened carefully but there was only silence. Maybe she was begging Carl to let him out. Maybe she was begging for herself. Ryan listened and waited.

xxx

Esme glanced at the heart monitor as the bleeps briefly increased in frequency before subsiding to their normal rate. It had done this many times before, and Carlisle had assured her it was a good sign, as it at least meant Ryan's body was functioning normally and that perhaps his brain activity was increasing. She gazed at Ryan who lay silent, unmoving other than the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"Please wake up," she begged. "Please."

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Phew! Not too gruesome I hope? Hey, what do you mean, not gruesome enough! Ohhh you're a blood-thirsty bunch huh? Go ahead, hit that review button... NOW!


	23. Chapter 23

Waiting.

Dictionaries define this as: _The act of remaining inactive or stationary._ Anyone who has participated in waiting may define it somewhat differently. _The act of impatiently pleading with time to pass… The act of being overwhelmed by nervous butterflies which proceed to chew through your insides… The act of jiggling excitedly in between trips to the window to peek out to see if your first love has arrived yet. _No, I don't think anyone who has experienced waiting would define it as 'inactive'.

The laws of physics themselves seem directly affected by waiting. Remember, how as a child, time seemed to stand still at certain moments? The days leading up to Christmas morning stretched away into impossible infinity, whilst at the same time it was surely only two minutes since your last dental check-up. The more something is desired, the slower time passes. This is fact. And even for the Cullens, for whom eternity was a very real experience, waiting was agony. The second hand on the wall clock took several hours to move each space. The winter sun seemed to shine for endless weeks, hindering their visits to the hospital. And the possibility of Ryan waking any time soon was sliding out of sight into the realms of impossibility. The medical staff remained cheerful and positive, but unfortunately their thoughts betrayed them. Edward knew they believed that the longer Ryan remained in a coma, the less likely any satisfactory recovery became.

Jasper's eyes flickered to the door as Emmett entered the room.

"Any change?"

Jasper didn't even bother replying as his eyes slid back to the bed; the only sign of life being the slight rise and fall of the thin blanket as Ryan breathed.

Emmett crouched next to the bed, tentatively reaching out for the boy's hand. Solemnly he straightened each finger in turn, before curling the whole into a small fist, rubbing his thumb over the top as if to say to the hand, "You see? That's all you have to do. Just move those fingers a tiny bit, show us that there's hope; give us _something_ to cling on to. It's not too much to ask, is it?" The hand didn't reply. With a small sigh, Emmett stood up again, surveying the walls he knew by heart.

"This sucks."

Jasper's mouth twitched with an involuntary smile at Emmett's somewhat base yet wholly apt description of the situation.

xxx

Edward perched on a high branch gazing at the horizon. The forest stretched away for hundreds of miles before him; a wintery sea of greens and browns and greys, to which Edward was oblivious. His thoughts were at the side of Ryan's bed even though his body was many miles away. He felt like a coward. Ever since Ryan's subconscious mind had become active again, Edward had been privy to all of his thoughts; something which had caused him increasing anguish. The boy was stuck in a nightmarish world, imagining himself to be alternately back at his old house, or being hunted through the forest by Carl. The images were all of fear and pain and hopelessness, and no matter how much Edward talked to him and held his hand and told him it wasn't real, the boy's terror continued. Carlisle tried to be positive, as did all the medical staff, but Edward knew the truth; hope for Ryan was slipping away. The thought of the child trapped for untold years in such a world of darkness was more than Edward could stand to think about, and so he removed himself from the scene, hoping the physical distance would cause the knowledge of Ryan's agony to fade. It didn't.

xxx

Carlisle folded his arms around Esme's shoulders, placing a small tender kiss on the side of her cheek. She had reached the point where she refused to leave the hospital in case something happened to Ryan in her absence and so Carlisle had arranged for a small room in the staff quarters where she was pretending to be taking a few hours sleep.

"Carlisle, how much longer can this continue? I know Edward sees something in Ryan's thoughts and I know it can't be anything good or he would have told me. Surely there's something we can do?"

Carlisle had heard the same words from Esme countless times, and he wished with all his heart that he could tell her something different this time. So often had he been the one to break bad news to desperate families over the years. Cushioning the blow by saying that their loved one hadn't suffered; that it was all over very quickly; that they just slipped peacefully away. The reality was so often very different with a dying body convulsing on the operating table, wounds haemorrhaging, as staff fought tirelessly to save the life. And hardest of all was when it was a child. Carlisle hated those moments the most; hated seeing the world crumble to dust in the eyes of the bereaved parents; hated that there could be no comfort, no quiet platitudes to soften the blow.

"Esme, we just have to be patient. There literally is nothing more we can do. Ryan's body has physically recovered but the mind often takes longer. We just have to wait."

As he hugged his wife comfortingly, his thoughts went to Edward. He was rather peeved that Edward was refusing to say what the state of Ryan's thoughts was. This information might have given a valuable clue as to how close Ryan was to regaining full consciousness and might have given Esme something tangible to cling to. All Edward would say was that the boy's thoughts were jumbled and unclear, but Carlisle knew there had to be more to it than that. He had seen the discomfort plain on Edward's face, and the fact that he now avoided Ryan spoke volumes. He determined to have it out with his secretive son as soon as possible.

xxx

Ryan kept his eyes carefully closed as he listened to see if Carl was about, but all was silent. He'd completely lost track of how long he had been locked in this place and now preferred to just keep his eyes closed; at least then he could pretend he was just asleep, somewhere safe, and not imprisoned. His whole body felt numb, almost like it wasn't really there, but at least there was no pain. He hadn't heard his mom anymore and that more than anything else bothered him. He wished he could remember what had happened these past few days but even his thoughts seemed fuzzy. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate on something, the thoughts wouldn't focus, always dancing away out of reach; it was incredibly frustrating. Sometimes nasty thoughts slipped through. He didn't know where these ones came from, but he didn't like them at all. Thoughts of his mom… thoughts of her being dead. That thought made his stomach twist and his heart pound with fear. If his mom died he would have nothing; he himself might as well be dead too. Miserably he clenched his eyes tight and wished for it all to be over.

xxx

_Edward, don't go, I need to speak with you._

Edward grimaced. Carlisle was all too astute at times. As soon as Edward detected his father's thoughts he had indeed considered bolting out of the way. Talking was the last thing he wanted to do. A couple of leaves shimmered in the sudden unnatural breeze and Carlisle appeared on the branch next to him.

"So, this is where you've been hiding out, hmm?"

Edward was about to deny it but caught the steady gaze of Carlisle's clear amber eyes. He looked away instead.

"Edward, I'm going to cut straight to the chase here. We all know you've been able to glimpse into Ryan's thoughts whenever he's been asleep, and therefore it makes sense that you see into them just as clearly now, correct?" He didn't wait for a reply. "And don't tell me that his mind is just a jumble of incoherent images because I simply don't buy it. Incoherent images would not send you running for the hills. So tell me, Edward, and tell me truthfully. What _is_ his state of mind?"

Hesitantly, Edward began to explain. He told how Ryan appeared to have forgotten all about the Cullens and imagined that he was still back at his old home with Carl or worse, that he was being pursued by the fiend, running for his life. How he had no recollection of the incident. How his mind kept coming up with plausible explanations for his state of perpetual darkness and inability to move. How he believed his mother was still alive.

"Carlisle, it's as if the past months have simply vanished, as if we never existed. All of those tiny bits of happiness and hope he has built up have been swept away leaving him back in that abominable pit of misery he thought he had finally escaped from."

Carlisle placed a hand on his son's arm and squeezed it gently.

"Are there no memories of us at all?"

"None."

Carlisle frowned. Memory loss was common enough with head injuries but it was a little disconcerting to think that Ryan had lost so much.

"What about when we speak to him, does he show any sign of recognition then?"

Edward shrugged a little.

"Not recognition as such, although I think he does hear the sounds. His mind explains it away to fit what he believes is happening though."

Carlisle brightened considerably at this.

"Then that gives us something to work on," he smiled. "If Ryan is able to physically hear us then perhaps, with time, we can convince him of the reality, and perhaps that will encourage him to come back to us."

Edward eyed Carlisle dubiously.

"Edward, we really need you now. Only you can tell us how he is reacting. You must guide us."

xxx

Alice frowned at the bandage which covered most of Ryan's head. There were several tufts of hair which had escaped and were sticking up out the top. Gently she ran the strands through her fingers.

"You need to wake up soon, Ryan, it's time for another trim. Perhaps this time you will allow me to be a little more imaginative too. I could add some hints of colour here and there, or maybe just to the ends."

Jasper smiled as his wife chattered on to Ryan. He himself found it rather unsettling to speak to someone who just lay there, not moving, not responding, but it appeared Alice had no such reservations. His ears detected familiar soft footsteps approaching across the hospital car park.

"Carlisle's back. In fact, it sounds as though everyone's here! Looks like he's even persuaded Edward to pay a visit."

Alice smiled.

"You see, Ryan? I told you he would be back. Now you simply _must_ open your eyes and tell him he's been an idiot for staying away."

Her bright smile dimmed a little as Ryan continued to lay quietly.

The door opened and the Cullens entered. No one asked if there had been any change. It was more than disappointing to always receive the same answer. Esme instantly moved to Ryan's side, holding his hand in hers.

"I think we need to give Ryan a firm belief that there is something worth waking up for," began Carlisle. "We need to convince him that _we_ are his reality and not the past he appears to be reliving. Edward," he patted his son on the back reassuringly, "will help monitor Ryan's responses so that we can build on anything which seems to be helping."

Esme leaned close to Ryan, rubbing his hand gently.

"Ryan? Ryan sweetie, it's Esme. Esme Cullen. You remember me, right? Do you remember when you first came to stay with us? I didn't have a clue what to feed you with. Poor boy, I made you breakfast for two meals running and you ate it all so politely. You must have thought me very odd."

She glanced at Edward who was closely following Ryan's thoughts. He shook his head a little. Ryan hadn't heard anything; he was busy listening for Carl. Emmett stepped closer.

"Ryan, c'mon man, it's no fun when you're not around. I've got a whole new batch of games set up for us to play, _and_ I have all the cheat codes you need, to whip Jasper's ass. Ryan you _have_ to remember who we are. We're all right here, waiting. We're not going anywhere kid."

Carlisle listened worriedly to see if any medical staff were within hearing distance, as Emmett's voice rose with emotion. Knowing his son as he did, it wouldn't be long before the word 'vampire' was being bandied about, and although it could easily be passed off as some private joke, Carlisle would still prefer it not to be mentioned at all. Emmett continued.

"You're my only human brother, kid. We're a team, right? Human and vampire, an unbeatable combination."

Edward stared intently at Ryan and grimaced. The boy's thoughts were very far from Emmett, embroiled in an altogether more unpleasant scenario.

More weeks passed and the Cullens refused to give up. They mounted a twenty-four hour rota so that someone was always there to talk to Ryan, to remind him of all the fun things that had happened and to talk of untold pleasures yet to come. Edward stayed on hand to watch the boy's thoughts for as much as he could without arousing suspicion but to no avail. Ryan stubbornly refused to acknowledge their presence, seemingly preferring to surround himself with pain. It was all very frustrating.

xxx

Carlisle watched the approaching storm from the window, the scent of ozone strong in the air as the particles within the towering clouds raced up and down building themselves into a frenzy of static. The water across the bay was churning a sickly grey colour, topped with curls of white which threw themselves haphazardly at any object they found. Edward was reading to Ryan from a large tome of stories whilst Esme gently held the boy's hand. The room was suddenly turned dazzling white as the first enormous bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by the deafening crash of thunder vibrating through every stone in the building before rumbling away, just in time for the next flash to hit.

Ryan stared horrified at the stone before him. He was alone on a hill top and all around him a wild gale blew, shrieking like a banshee, punctuated by terrifying flashes of light which momentarily blinded him. None of this was as frightening as the stone, or more accurately the words on the stone: JENNIFER JAMESON, 1979-2010. It was his mom's grave; she was dead.

The familiar stench of stale beer and cigarettes appeared beside him, whispering in his ear amidst the turmoil.

"She was a useless whore," it whispered. "And now she's where she belongs. Do you know how it happened? Do you know how she died?"

Ryan was rigid with terror barely managing to shake his head.

"I put her in there. I put her in that hole because that's where she belongs. She didn't want to go of course," the voice sniggered gleefully, "but I didn't give her a choice. Once she was in the hole, the rats did the rest of the work for me. Do you know what happened?"

Ryan tried to lift his arms so he could cover his ears and not hear any more of this horror, but he was frozen to the spot.

"The rats ate her alive. They nibbled her fingers and toes, chewing on the raw bleeding stumps while she screamed and screamed and screamed. The only reason she stopped screaming was when they bit through her lips and gnawed off her tongue. No, wait! Listen!" Again the voice laughed, low and menacing.

"Why, I do believe she's screaming still."

And amidst the wind and the lightning, Ryan too could hear his mom, her shrieks of agony muffled by the layers of dirt above her as the rats squirmed in excitement, greedy for more flesh. A flash of lightning suddenly illuminated something nearby; another stone above a deep pit, and on the stone a single word: RYAN.

"They're waiting for you, Ryan. The rats are hungry."

Edward shook the boy by the shoulders.

"Stop it! Stop it! It's not real, none of it's real!"

But Ryan truly believed it was, and to their collective horror they noticed the heart monitor falter and the electronic signal measuring brain activity began to slow.

xxx

The sound of the heart monitor tallying the pulse, harmonised with the sound of the ventilator; beep, beep, beep, swoosh, beep, beep, beep, swoosh. Carlisle added the final signature to the paperwork which placed Ryan entirely into his care as a patient during the transfer journey. He was aware that secretly the hospital was glad to have the case off their hands. Coma patients could be very long-term, and long-term meant mounting costs. Things had changed quite radically from when he had first begun to study medicine. In those days a lot of the treatment was pure guess work. You tried something, logged the results, tried something else and so forth, until the patient recovered or died. There were no consequences, no complaints from grieving relatives, always just gratitude that you had tried your best under impossible circumstances. Nowadays things were different. Medical knowledge had increased exponentially. Conditions which likely meant death three hundred years ago were now routinely diagnosed and treated by family doctors. But it all came at a price. Hospitals were run as a business and as such needed to be seen to be financially viable. Life was not measured in terms of 'can we save it' but more and more as 'can we afford to'.

Ever since that terrible night of the storm, Ryan's brain activity had sunk to a very low level indeed. The diagnosis was that the only activity remaining was that which kept his body functioning, that all higher level activity had been lost. The Cullen's knew different as Edward still got occasional glimpses from the boy's mind, although nowhere near as much as previously. Of course they couldn't tell the hospital that and as far as the experts were concerned the immediate prognosis was very poor indeed.

As the vehicle drove smoothly away from the hospital, Carlisle looked at the pale face of the boy before him. He had suffered incessantly throughout most of his life and had finally thought he had found refuge with the Cullens. They were about to put him through the greatest test yet.

From far away, Ryan could hear the car door slam and felt the rumble of the engine as Carl started up. He was taking him to be killed, of that he was certain. He didn't know how he knew, just that he did. What bothered him was what method Carl would choose. Various scenarios rotated through his exhausted mind: A knife blade drawn slowly across his throat, his lungs becoming choked with foaming red blood; The car being pushed into a bottomless lake, the trickle of water seeping through the cracks in the trunk, drip, drip, drip, dampness becoming wetness, water pushing away the last scraps of air as he battled futilely for life; or would the car just be abandoned, somewhere hidden and secretive, somewhere no one would ever find him. How long did it take to die from lack of water? Days? Weeks? Would he go mad first? He wanted to die now, for it to be swift and merciful. Ryan resumed his pleading: Please God, let me die now. Please God, let me die now. Please God…

Finally the long journey was over. In the tiny cottage deep in the heart of the Canadian wilderness, Carlisle took one final look at the child he knew and loved.

xxx

Ryan tried to wriggle into a more comfortable position but couldn't; something sharp was jabbing itself into his neck every time he moved. The more he moved, the more the rusty metalwork cut into him; his neck, his arms, his legs, his stomach. What was happening? Was the car being crushed? Anticipation in the darkness was worse than the punishment itself, at least that was what he had previously thought. In frustration he tried to relax his muscles to avoid whatever was stabbing into him, and then it hit. The heat that suddenly began to envelope his body was like nothing he had ever endured before. The entire car must be on fire! Carl was going to let him burn to death! Panic overwhelmed him; agonising unbelievable pain swamping every cell of his body. Once, as a child, he'd been trying to make fries when his sleeve had caught the handle of the pan of fat. The jolt had caused some of it to spill from the pan landing straight on his bare toes. He recalled the feeling of the heat, so strong it was almost ice cold in the first instant, before those rills of savage burning spread outwards all over his foot. This was a million times worse. He pictured the metal of the car melting, dripping onto his body like candle wax, instantly searing into the flesh and melding with it. The heat intensified. Now the molten car was passing right into the core of his bones, creeping along nerve endings, every cell in his body exploding as the heat hit it. And just as the inferno peaked, another wave of more intense pain swamped him. Trapped in the trunk of the blazing car, Ryan screamed and screamed and screamed.

All the Cullens had witnessed transformations at least once before, but it didn't lessen the horror of watching the boy writhe on the bed, his throat raw from his cries of agony. Carlisle and Edward had swiftly plunged syringe after syringe of venom into his body, attacking every vein and artery, even directly into the heart itself in an attempt to make the change as swift as possible. As the hours passed, each and every one of them would have gladly endured the horror they all knew so well, just to spare the boy. Jasper tried desperately to counter the pain by projecting feelings of calm, but what the boy was experiencing was genuine, physical torment, not some trick of the mind, and so his efforts had no effect. Esme cradled him, trying to place her ice cold hands all over him in an effort to diffuse the heat, but her skin was no match for the inferno within. All they could do was watch and wait and hope.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take, my sunshine, away. _Ryan felt his mom tapping her fingers gently against the tips of his own as she sang the familiar, comforting refrain. As she touched him, the fire began to be doused, a coolness in both hands, blessed relief while the rest of him continued to burn. He must be close to death; was his mom really here, her spirit come to meet him? Or was it just another dream, something his mind had conjured up from the madness in which he now dwelt. If madness meant respite from the pain then he welcomed it with open arms.

"Mom?"

Her soft hands gently stroked his arms which continued to burn.

"Ryan, I needed to tell you something, something I want you to never forget."

In his mind's eye he could see her standing at his feet, shimmering through the billowing heat that rose from his charred remains. Her face looked very bright though not quite distinct; it was hard to focus on any features but somehow he knew she was smiling; she always smiled.

"Are you staying? Don't leave me, will you?"

His mother moved a little, appearing by his side, her hand reaching out to cup his face. "I need you to know that I never stopped loving you, Ryan, that I _will_ never stop loving you. And I'm sorry I couldn't protect you as a mother is supposed to. I'm sorry for the pain, and the fear, and most of all for leaving you."

He opened his mouth to protest that none of that mattered, that he didn't care about any of it if only she would stay with him now. The pain wasn't so all-consuming while she was there, he needed her there, but the words wouldn't come.

"Ryan, you have a good soul, I know that, and goodness eventually finds itself. Ryan, everything is going to be alright now, no more pain, no more fear, no more loneliness. They love you, perhaps as much as I do, and they will always be there for you."

Her words confused him. They? Who were they? Perhaps he really was about to die. Was she referring to some sort of heavenly welcoming party? The blissful coolness crept further along his limbs to his knees and elbows; such magnificent relief.

"It's nearly time." She smiled as she bent closer, placing a tender kiss on his forehead. "Remember, I love you."

He felt tears of frustration welling up in his eyes that he couldn't seem to speak.

"Don't…" Her finger on his lips quashed his words.

"Listen, Ryan. Listen very, very carefully… Close your eyes, and really listen. Do you hear?"

He closed his eyes and concentrated through the remaining pain. Somewhere, muffled as if in another room, he could hear murmured voices, indistinct and mumbled.

"It's slowing."

All eyes focused on Ryan as his pulse rate, barely audible at the best of times, slowed considerably. The moment was almost here. His body lay still and pale with the familiar shimmer on his skin as a few daring beams of sunlight touched him with curiosity.

Pump… pump… pump… pump… .

Eyelids opened slowly then rapidly widened at the overwhelming sight before him. Not just the watching Cullens but the colours, the unbelievable array of colours. It was as if light shone from everything.

"Hey bud!" Emmett was the first to speak.

Ryan's shy smile hadn't changed one bit as he looked from face to face, so relieved to see them all.

"Hey E…" He snapped his mouth shut, frowning at the way his voice sounded; so light and, well, almost girlish.

Jasper gave a slow wide grin.

"Weird huh? Don't worry, you won't sound that way for long."

Ryan nodded, not wanting to try his new voice just yet awhile as he slowly sat up, taking in the thousands of details in the room in the blink of an eye. Through the open door to the forest beyond he was sure he could hear every creature on the planet. Every squeak and whistle and scuffle and click. Could he even be hearing the trees grow? Nothing was beyond the realms of possibility as he made his way towards the outside world.

Carlisle and Edward moved ahead of him to stand a few metres away, encouraging Ryan to follow. The wooden floor felt strange beneath his feet, like he could feel every grain in the wood. A strangely pleasant feeling, warm and natural.

Flanked by Emmett and Jasper, Ryan stood on the threshold, the others close by. The forest seemed to buzz with excitement; everything rustled and chattered, scurrying and scuffling. Looking down at his bare feet, scrunching his toes, he noticed the wooden frame bend a fraction at the pressure. A smile spread across his face as he studied the effect before wincing as toe shaped patterns appeared in the crumbled wood.

"Sorr…" He stopped abruptly, his voice still sounding strange and alien.

"Don't worry Ry, you've got a long way to go to catch up with the amount of stuff I've accidentally destroyed." Emmett chuckled, giving Ryan's shoulder a little squeeze of reassurance.

"Don't take that as a challenge though," smiled Rosalie, "Let him keep his appalling record."

Ryan smiled back with a tiny nod before returning his gaze to the wilderness outside the door. Carlisle stood waiting patiently, watching. Everyone reacted differently to their newfound existence, although Ryan had the advantage of quite a depth of knowledge. But theory was always far different to reality and people needed to set their own pace. Slowly Ryan stepped across into the early morning light. The pink blush of dawn caused a soft luminescence to the vampire skin, and Ryan's smile widened considerably as he noticed the effect now on his own hands. It had always fascinated him from the very beginning and now he had it all for his very own. He turned his hands this way and that before holding them higher into the light.

"Are you ready to stretch your legs a little?" asked Carlisle, holding one hand towards the hesitant boy.

"We'll all be with you," reassured Edward, remembering the mixed sensations of elation and shock the first time he had really run at full speed, almost fearing that he might not be able to stop.

Alice moved forward with a mischievous grin. "Race!" And she turned and ran into the forest at a steady pace. Instinctively Ryan moved to follow. This was _so _different to being carried on someone's back. His feet moved swiftly across the ground, not even acknowledging the rocks and branches beneath his feet as he wove his way between the trees with complete confidence. He knew he was travelling fast, could feel the breeze in his face and see the scenery flying by, but it was as easy as breathing. He didn't have to plan which way to turn or stare ahead to avoid hitting low hanging branches; his body carried him effortlessly through the forest allowing his attention to focus on miniscule details as he passed: A tiny frog perched on a rotting log by a pool of water; a single leaf floating slowly to the ground; the brief spray of dirt as a mouse rapidly hurled itself into the shelter of a tiny hole in the ground. All these sights and a thousand others filled the boy's soul with delight as he ran and ran and ran.

The Cullens keeping careful pace, allowed him to run freely.

Alice slowed her pace as she reached the rushing water and gazed back watching the boy approaching, wondering what he would do when he reached the wide river. Her face was filled with delight as his face appeared, but rapidly became an expression of open mouthed shock. Edward caught her thoughts at the exact same moment, his exclamation of surprise grabbing Carlisle's attention.

"Edward?"

Edward was shaking his head in bemusement. "As he came through the trees towards Alice, for a split second she couldn't see his face at all, just a very faint translucency."

Carlisle absorbed this information in wonder. "Invisible?"

Edward shook his head. "Not literally, I don't think. From what Alice saw, it was more that he simply absorbed the images around himself; blended in. Like a camouflage."

Carlisle's eyes widened with astonishment as they sped to see for themselves. The transformation had clearly enhanced the properties of Ryan's human body and now he was cloaking himself even more effectively than ever. What an unusual gift! His mind raced with the possibilities and Edward couldn't help but laugh that poor Ryan was going to become Carlisle's project for the foreseeable future.

Ryan sped full tilt at the river and instinctively launched himself into the air as he'd seen Emmett and Jasper do many times before. A garbled laugh of pure delight rang out in his wake as he sailed across with ease, exhilaration thrilling through every limb as he continued to sprint onwards. And as the watching Cullens kept pace they saw with intrigue and delight the way his skin shimmered, absorbing the image of whatever he was passing so that at times only the clothing was visible. Free at last, free from danger, free from torment, free to live out eternity surrounded by love and kindness. Ryan ran and ran and ran.

* * *

My apologies for making you wait so long for this final chapter but unfortunately that's all we could do whilst Ryan remained in a coma. The decision to change him really was a last resort for the Cullens. Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story and for all your wonderful comments and support. Best wishes to you all, Julie XXX


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